Compressed Spring 2026 Issue - Flipbook - Page 35
(Far l.) A vintage
Retro pin with
cabochon emerald
and baguette and
round diamond
accents
“We make buying decisions
on passion, love, stories, and
connections, not spreadsheets.”
—MELISSA QUICK
The couple applies that same ethos to the jewelry
itself. Most customers come to Steve Quick Jeweler for
their first major purchases: an engagement ring and
wedding bands. What they find is an alluring collection
of small-batch jewelry from the mostly independent
designers Melissa and Steve handpicked for their
creativity. The store also carries several smaller brands
that aren’t readily available in the Midwest.
“We only buy and stock what we love,” says Melissa,
who notes the importance of developing and maintaining relationships with the designers they sell. “We make
[buying decisions] on passion, love, stories, and connections, not spreadsheets. I can’t stand across from a customer and tell them a piece is wonderful if it’s not true.”
The current lineup of fine fashion treasures in the
cases includes the men’s $3,150 Sirius meteorite wedding band by Chris Ploof Designs (Ploof hand-makes all
his designs in his Massachusetts workshop); a pleasingly bright $26,335 ring with a purple sapphire flanked
by pink sapphires and diamonds by Omi Privé, which
exclusively deals in the top tier of colored gemstones;
$10,300 chandelier earrings in 18k gold with raw
diamonds by Todd Reed, a leading voice in the world
of indie designers; and an oversize $16,190 turquoise,
diamond, and 18k gold pendant by Leigh Maxwell, who
handcrafts her jewelry in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Colored gemstone jewelry is a major focus at Steve
Quick, says Melissa, who explains, “We love color, and
the designers whom we partner with also love color.”
Think designs sparkling with blue sapphires, emeralds,
rubies, spinel, tourmaline (including the rare, Windexhued paraiba tourmaline), alexandrite, rainbow moonstones, and glorious, prismatic opals.
GEMANDJEWEL.COM
Store president
Melissa Quick
(Above) One-ofa-kind paraiba
tourmaline and
diamond earrings by
Omi Privé
In wedding jewelry, pieces range from a classic Tiffany & Co. diamond solitaire on a simple platinum band
to larger, funkier gold settings. And creating a piece
from the studs up is always an option at Steve Quick.
The shop uses computer-aided design (CAD) and employs an in-house bench jeweler skilled at hand-carving
wax molds for casting completely original designs.
Recently the store has seen more customers asking to
rework an existing piece—a bracelet Mom wore, or a ring
that belonged to Grandma. “People realize they’re sitting on gold, this thing of value, and start to think maybe
they should do something with it,” Melissa says.
Although wedding jewelry is Steve Quick Jeweler’s
bread and butter, estate jewelry has been finding a new
audience at the store, and vintage brooches for men
have become hot sellers. Answering the call for more
lapel bling, the store recently acquired a few fashion-y
gold brooches from the ’70s and ’80s, several of which
would have fit in perfectly at Studio 54.
Whatever the Quicks do, they do it with integrity
and caring. A recent Instagram post distilled the spirit
of the company into a single sentiment: “Here at Steve
Quick Jeweler, love is everything.”
SPRING 2026
31
