Jeweler's Love for the Job and Giving Back to the Community

It all started when Steve Galper was just 17 years old and his mother’s cousin called to ask if he wanted to work at the family’ jewelry store. The rest, as Galper calls it, is history.

He worked both in Brooklyn and Manhattan for five years before opening up his own store in 1987 at the age of 24. Galper said he knew nothing about the business and learned the trade on his own. He mostly loved working with people.

For the last 11 years, Galper has been serving customers at his store, , which is located in the Triangle Shopping Center in Yorktown.

"I try my best to give the better prices and make my customers happy," he said. "I want to be treated the same way when I walk out of here into the real world, as I treat people here. What comes around, goes around."

Through the difficult economic times, he said he has been able to keep his business because of his attitude and the way he treats people – it doesn’t matter if a customer wants to spend a little or a lot of money, he said everyone would get treated the same way.  

He said it is important to earn his customers' trust and as he does repairs on the premises, he would let customers watch. Galper wants to make them feel comfortable and trust him with their jewelry.

And although it's impossible to keep your business without making money, to him making people happy is more important. 

"It’s not only about the money in the store, it’s about making people happy and giving back to the community," he said, referring to donations he has made to and the Yorktown Heights Fire Department. "I do what I can."

The store has a wide variety of jewelry, including watches, rings, pendants, bracelets and charms. Customers can also sell their old jewelry at the store, which Galper would scrap. 

"There is a person in town who desperately needed the money and sold every piece of jewelry she had," Galper said.

Then, he got a phone call from her father who asked that Galper holds on to the jewelry until they can pay him back. He did. Soon after the man mailed the money to Galper with a little extra as a way to thank him. When the woman came into the store, she cried and thanked the jeweler for not melting her jewelry and holding onto it.

"I’m a teddy bear," he said. "I got a heart of gold, no pun intended."

Galper said the most popular items for Valentine’s Day are heart pendants and diamonds. Galper described himself as a hopeless romantic and said people wear jewelry because it is meaningful and sentimental. 

"When a woman is wearing jewelry and it looks good on her," Galper said. "It reflects the man [who gave it to her.]"

He said while sometimes the job might not be easy, he describes it as fun and something that he loves doing.

"When I do something, I take pride," Galper said. "Whether it’s my job, or my boys, because it reflects myself. I try my best in everything I do."

Genesis Jewelers is located at 32 Triangle Center in Yorktown Heights. The jewelry store is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and it's closed on Sunday. 

__

Do you like Patch? "Like" us on Facebook and join the conversation there. Thank you for reading!