Frank Michael Jewelers

Mar 29

In their own words

“We’re in a unique location—the main lobby of a high rise in the middle of Chicago’s bustling Financial District. When you walk in [to our store], your experience is going to be heartfelt, friendly, and jovial, which we pride ourselves on. We like joking to help people to relax because it’s nothing but a happy experience. Some kind of happiness is happening in your life that we’re going to be a part of. We want to make that as special as possible.”

-Frank Beltrame Jr.

Jason’s Interview with Frank

Jason

We're back on Meet the Jewelers and today we're talking to Frank Beltrame Jr. from Frank Michael Jewelers. How did you get into the industry?

Frank

I came out of high school, didn't really know which direction I wanted to go. My father had a store at the time and I wanted to try my hand at it. I went to Quincy, Illinois at Gem City College. I studied there, graduated, worked for a year, and then attended Gemological Institute of America in Carlsbad.

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Jason
When did you graduate from GIA?

Frank
In September 1998.

Jason
Do you have any other family members that have joined you since then?

Frank
I have not. My father had several stores at one time and then the economy kind of slowed around 2006-2007. He took a backseat at that point. I opened a location in downtown Chicago and we've been here ever since. He's now been retired for several years.

Jason
Did you always know this was something you were going to do?

Frank
No, it never really occurred to me until I attended GIA. When I got to GIA in Carlsbad, at the Moab Campus, it was absolutely gorgeous. I think I was the third or fourth class to go through there. When I gained all that knowledge, that's when I knew this was what I wanted to do.

Jason
Given that your family heritage is in the industry, what are the values you learned that you apply now?

Frank
Honesty and trustworthiness. In this industry, you are basically selling yourself. If you're not trustworthy, you're not going to be successful. Been doing this for twenty-one years now and those are the core values that I received from my father. Treat people well and they'll come back to you.

Jason
With all that being said, why should people trust you?

Frank
If you have a good reputation as a person and individual, let alone a jeweler, that's gonna shine through. Some stores do a better job of it than others. We're not just trying to make money here. We appreciate the relationships that are formed and some of them last lifetimes.

Jason
How does your new location differentiate from the other great jewelers around the area?

Frank
We're in a pretty unique location. We're in the main lobby of a high rise in the middle of Chicago's bustling Financial District. We're located one building to the left of the Chicago Board of Trade, an iconic high rise itself in what we call the loop.

Jason
Tell us about the experience when they come in. What's the feeling like?

Frank
It's very relaxed. We're non-pressure. We always were. That was my father's way which I learned from him. I don't consider myself or people that work for me salesmen. We're not pushing you to buy something. When you walk in, your experience is going to be heartfelt, kind, friendly, and jovial. When you're coming to buy jewelry, it's nothing but a happy experience.

Jason
Tell us an example where you brought a smile to a client's face.

Frank
About a month ago, we had a gentleman that came in to look for engagement rings. I sat down with him. He was really nervous. We made some jokes with him and put him at ease. It just became relaxed. By the time he left, he was smiling, he was excited.

Jason
Tell us about a fun proposal experience that you played a role in

Frank
One that stands out, the gentleman was getting engaged and didn't know how he should go about it. She was a huge fan of a horror movie, so he had hired a professional cameraman to make it just like the movie—he actually did it in front of one of our locations at the time. He had a friend bring her to the store, he was filming and he came out and pretty much recreated the scene from the movie. She was very scared at first, but then she realized she was getting engaged.

Jason
Tell us what does service mean to you?

Frank
Whether it's an engagement, birthday, anniversary, we put a little extra touch on it. We had one client that happened to work inside the building where our store is. He would covertly come after hours because he didn't want her to see. She loved mariachi music. He wanted to do a limo ride at night in the city. We hired a mariachi band. When she walked out of work, the mariachis were playing and the limo was there waiting for her with him and “Will You Marry Me?” signs. That was really cool. We go above and beyond the call when it comes to service. We'll clean your ring, polish it anytime you come in, check it out, make sure there's nothing loose or knocked around. We'll do everything we can to make sure the customer is satisfied.

Jason
Tell us about a cool design or trend that you're carrying.

Frank
We carry these triangular pendants and earrings. They're small melee diamonds, but we use top quality. They sparkle like crazy. They're not over the top, they're maybe half an inch to three-quarters of an inch.

Jason
In terms of engagement rings, are there designers that you like for engagement?

Frank
I do a lot of custom design with engagement rings. I believe that no two ladies in the world want the same ring. I try to gauge the customer, her style, her persona. My particular interest is being my own designer. That creates our own niche for us.

Jason
Walk us through your design and customization process.

Frank
We have the use of CAD/CAM technology now, which is great computer technology. For years, all the waxes were all hand-carved, which is unbelievable. Now they have printers that print the wax. With the younger generation today, being so tech-savvy impresses them as well. We talk about a design and then we'll send them a CAD image or several. We also send them a 3D image. They'll either say they love it or "Can we change this?" You need to have the tech involved for sure.

Jason
Tell me where you think the industry and your store is going to be five, 10, 20 years from now?

Frank
Hopefully still around. I believe that once you make your mark in this industry, it'll always shine. We're looking at expanding into a larger space, maybe sooner than later. I haven't decided yet, but I am a huge fan of fashion, not just in jewelry, but clothing as well. We might incorporate that, maybe get involved with some local designers. Create longevity.

Jason
This is your platform to talk to the Meet the Jewelers. You can say whatever you like. What do you want us to know?

Frank
If you're looking for a different experience that you're not going to get at many of the stores in downtown Chicago, you definitely want to check us out. Our service is incomparable. Whether it's pricing, design, selection, we have it all. I always tell potential customers, "Give us a shot. And I guarantee you won't look back."