When it comes to a special gift for a special person, you can’t go wrong with jewelry. The statement a beautiful necklace makes. The thought that goes into the perfect earrings. The commitment symbolized by a diamond ring. With all the “Insta-“ this and “Insta-“ that in today’s society, it’s nice to know that some things are still considered precious.

Jack Seibert understands the sentiment of jewelry all too well. He’s the owner of Jack Seibert Goldsmith & Jewelers, a forty-year-old jewelry retailer in the heart of Upper Arlington in Columbus. “When it comes to purchasing jewelry, you need to choose a seller you can trust,” said Seibert. “Unfortunately, just opening a jewelry store doesn’t necessarily mean a quality product.”

Good jewelers, according to Seibert, study the industry. They attend national education conferences to “sharpen their saws”. They look at selling jewelry as a relationship, not a transaction. “This really can be a ‘buyer beware’ industry for consumers,” Seibert added.

When it comes to jewelry, Ohio is like the Wild West.

Every state has varying degrees of laws and standards jewelry appraisers and sellers need to uphold. Ohio happens to be a rather relaxed state when it comes to this. “It makes building a strong reputation of honesty even more important,” said Jack. A trusted jeweler will observe FTC Guidelines and apply his or her Registered Trademark adjacent to the 14 K Quality mark attesting to it’s accuracy, for example. “It’s conforming to the Federal Trade Commission Guidelines – that guarantees you have a quality product.”

On Keeping Ohio Dollars in Ohio

Jack is sure to remind us that patronizing his store – and really any local store – has a ripple effect that that supports an entire community. “By buying at local retailers like ours, you are supporting more than a local business,” Jack explains. “We are very philanthropic in our local community and all of Central Ohio. We give to our school system’s PTO. We serve on Rotary Clubs. We donate to homeless efforts.” The business is also a generous donor to The Ohio State University. “So it’s not just that you need us locally to repair, restore, or design your jewelry. We honestly wouldn’t be able to give back without the support of our customers and community.”