On this week’s episode, JCK editor-in-chief Victoria Gomelsky and news director Rob Bates speak with Constance Polamalu, chief operating officer of Zachary’s Jewelers in Annapolis, Md., and the owner and founder of both Bloomstone Jewelers and Birthright Foundry. Constance shares her unique entrance into the jewelry industry, as well as the facets of each of her different businesses, from lab-grown diamonds to pieces that represent her American Samoan culture. She also offers insights into selling and interacting with different generations and clientele.

Sponsored by Tracr: tracr.com 

Show Notes
01:51 Back to the beginning
06:32 Entrance into the industry
15:25 Generational differences
19:33 Bloomstone’s lab-grown diamonds
24:21 Birthright Foundry
28:30 Staying in the loop

Episode Credits
Hosts: Rob Bates and Victoria Gomelsky
Producer and engineer: Natalie Chomet
Editor: Riley McCaskill
Plugs: @jckmagazine; tracr.com, Birthright Foundry, Bloomstone Jewelers, Zachary’s Jewelers

Show Recap
Back to the beginning
As the chief operating officer of Zachary’s Jewelers, Constance’s desk sits in the middle of the store, allowing her to be visible to the community, similar to how owner and CEO Steve Samaras generally operated. Both of them feel that having open-air offices allow them to be involved and connected to community.

Entrance into the industry
Constance joined the jewelry industry because she “always loved entrepreneurial pursuits, fashion, and sparkly rocks, and I did not love going to college. So when somebody told me I could get into this industry and earn respect without finishing a degree, I was all in.” 

She originally studied geology and entrepreneurship at the University of Las Vegas. But she met someone at a wedding who told her that wasn’t going to lead to the kind of career she wanted. She needed experience. She applied to every big name on the Las Vegas Strip, but was rejected from all of them. She ended up selling costume jewelry door to door for a multi-level marketing–style company in order to save money to go to GIA.

One day, a potential customer asked why she was “doing this.” After she was honest about her aspirations, he revealed that he was a jeweler and he would teach her everything he knew if she would sell his jewelry with the same passion.

She started the next day at Ben Gioielli & Co., which was anything but easy. She spent her extra time learning in any way that she could, including through Diamond Council of America coursework and reading the Stuller catalog that she found in the corner of the store. She would also watch jewelry shows on HSN, QVC, and JTV late at night to learn more about the business, and because she’d heard “nobody could sell like those people on television.” 

This led to success at her first JCK show, where she connected with recruiters who were looking for people to sell jewelry on television. She had done acting, modeling, and commercial work in the past, so she felt ready to go on the air. She also honed some of her sketching and communication skills in China with a factory design team.   

Generational differences
Rob asks Constance, a millennial, how the industry could attract more young people. Constance says she used to be the youngest person in the room, but now that she has members of Gen Z working for her, she doesn’t feel as young as she used to. She feels there are more millennials in the jewelry industry now, and is more concerned with getting Gen Z and Gen Alpha to join the industry. 

She notices that there are differences in selling to millennials, who tend to be “tighter with their purse strings,” as opposed to Gen Z, who are not as budget-conscious and feel that they can afford something nice for themselves. Constance uses Instagram and other social media platforms to connect with current and past customers. She’s noticed that baby boomers are more open to texting now and often expect pictures and videos of the pieces they are looking at. Her motto is “However you want to get in touch with me, I’m gonna be there.”    

Bloomstone’s lab-grown diamonds
The idea for Bloomstone’s Jewelers began in 2020, as Constance researched threats to Zachary’s natural diamond business. She began to see this new market as an opportunity.

The lab-grown–only store opened in April. She says many people who come into the store are either excited and want to learn more, or immediately turn and walk right out of the store. Others still don’t know what lab-grown diamonds are. She finds that the two stores have surprisingly similar clienteles, though the choice generally comes down to economics. “That is where I really saw the opportunity,” she says. “The average ticket at Zachary’s really prices a lot of people out.” 

Birthright Foundry
As a young mother with an American Samoan background, Constance wanted to leave a legacy and create space in the industry for people like her, including her sons.

Utilizing only “natural stone and precious metals,” Birthright Foundry strives to make tribal jewelry and symbols more modern and timeless. One of Constance’s motifs includes the whale tooth necklace, known as the nifo, that is used for ceremonial purposes. Each ula nifo lives in a family, and the most important person at any event gets to wear it. She also has a collection called Tatau, which utilizes sharp geometric diamond shapes to mimic tribal tattoos. Finally, there’s a Voyager Ring, modeled after traditional outrigger canoes. 

Staying in the loop
Rob notes that Constance is active in various industry groups, such as Jewelers of America, the American Gem Society, and Diamonds Do Good, and that it’s relatively unusual for industry newcomers to become involved in those groups. Early on, Constance made it her goal to “know the jewelry industry from mine to final customer.” She also believes joining associations helps her build connections, both in and out of the business. “My customers know that I’m active in the industry,” she says. “I think people want to work with experts.”

Finally, Rob asks Constance to share how she unknowingly bought the diamond for her own engagement ring, which echoes a story that recently ran on JCKonline. Constance’s now-husband persuaded his roommate to call her and ask her to pick out the “perfect” diamond for the roommate’s girlfriend, since Constance and the girlfriend had similar taste. Constance said it hurt her heart a little to hand him the diamond, but was thrilled to receive it back a little later set in a beautiful ring that she still wears to this day.  

Any views expressed in this podcast do not reflect the opinion of JCK, its management, or its advertisers.

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