Corinne Jewelers in Toms River, N.J., reopened its doors last week after a six-month renovation that nearly doubled the store’s footprint—and added on to its official name.

The shop grew from 2,650 square feet to 4,250 square feet, and its new moniker is Corinne Jewelers, The Diamond Source.

 

Co-owners Ryan and Allyssa Blumenthal in the new store with Simon Ghanimian of Simon G. 

Ryan Blumenthal, who owns the company with his wife, Allyssa, says the revamp was precipitated by a period of steady growth. “The last couple of years have been really great for us—we grew the business by 30 percent, and we were were just kind of bursting at the seams,” he says.

The timing also coincided with a pair of benchmarks within the business. Corinne celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2014, and third-generation owners Ryan and Allyssa officially took over the store from Ryan’s parents, Craig and Mary Blumenthal, earlier this year.

“All these different variables starting coming together at the same time,” says Ryan. “So we said, ‘Let’s make a big announcement that we’re doing the biggest renovation in our history.’ We took it as an opportunity to reinvent ourselves again. It was a great experience, and it was a phenomenal amount of work.”

Indeed. The renovation was floor-to-ceiling and incorporated an expansion into a 1,600-square-foot space that was being rented to another retailer (the Blumenthals own the building). “I told them we needed the space, and we cycled some tenants around to make it work,” says Ryan.

 

The ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the newly renovated Corinne Jewelers, The Diamond Source

Ryan partnered with designer Ruth Mellergaard of New York City’s GRID/3 International on the interiors, which include a new touch-and-try jewelry table, a repair take-in desk with a plasma screen showing photos of pieces undergoing repair, and sketches of custom works. An expanded bridal area boasts a comfy new sitting area, a coffee bar, and a large-screen TV. The store also added a Pandora boutique and a diamond and appraising room. 

“We have a more functional layout, which allows us to present more of what our customers want— quality jewelry. Particularly engagement rings, fashion, and custom design.”

Ryan says the bigger, better store will allow the business to grow at a more rapid pace. “I think we’ll go from having a great reputation in our town to being more of a regional player,” he says. “I think we’ll be able to pull from a larger radius. People will drive if you give them a good reason to.”

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