The Spencer Family Customers are Precious

For three generations, Spencer's Jewelers have been taking great care of their clients. 

"The main thing is customer service," said Susan Spencer Adrien. "That is what my grandpa taught my dad, that is what my dad taught me."

She would know. She grew up in their family store. Her uncle and brother also worked in the store. Her very first job was at age 10 or 11. She made bows, at a time when they were made, not bought. 

Customer service is also an important component when choosing what brands to carry in the store, she explained. Citizen watches are one example. Their faces are solar panels that recharge the batteries. More importantly, their customer service is superb.

"That's my key, I always find out what (a brand's) customer service is," she said. "If there is no support there, they're not going to ever end up at the store."

The original store was founded by Layton and Eleanor Spencer in 1948. It was located on Jefferson Street in Joliet, on the northeast corner of Raynor. Then after her parents, LaVerne and Karen, took over, the location moved to Shorewood in 1991. 

Adrien has been a jeweler, herself, for 25 years, since right out of high school. She attended the Gemological Institute of American for diamond grading. She also went to Stewart's International School for Jewelers, which focuses on benchwork and repairing. 

In 2004, she bought the business from her father. He is semi-retired, and is still frequently seen in the store.

"I am very fortunate to be in a business I grew up in and enjoy," Adrien said.

Now that gold is at an all-time high, a new trend today is for stores to buy used gold jewelry. Spencer's has been offering this service for years. They also buy diamonds and platinum.They also help customers take old jewelry they don't wear or don't like and discover options of what they could have instead.

Understanding the value and weight of gold is something Adrien tries to explain to all of her customers. Because gold is soft, it is mixed with other metals, such as nickel, copper, and silver. Therefore, 10 karat is the strongest, and has the least amount of gold content. The most amount of gold is 24 karat, with a little bit of alloy. 

Right now, the store is offering a jewelry repair sale. The sale applies to watch repairs, pearl restringing, rhodium plating, jewelry repair or restoration.

Spencer's Jewelers is located at 805 W. Jefferson Street in Shorewood. The hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the week and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays. They carry over 200 bridal mountings in stock. Their main collections also include watches, colored gemstones and pearls. 

The collections are really secondary to the clientele, Adrien said. 

"One thing my dad taught me, 'Remember, this is a people business, no matter what you are selling, this is a people business,'" she said. "He is absolutely right."