“One or a Thousand”:
Quality’s What Counts at Gottlieb Brothers, Inc.

© 2003 Gottlieb Brothers, Inc., as published in Jewelers’ Inc., 1993

As third-generation diamond men, Alan and Bob Gottlieb of Gottlieb Brothers, Inc., Chicago, proudly follow the path established by their grandfather and father even while they set out in new directions of their own. Integrity, quality products at fair prices and exceptional customer service has been their family tradition since 1921 in this diamond importing and jewelry manufacturing concern.

"Quality is the watchword of our business,” says Alan, the senior statesman of the third generation. “Our grandfather was so well-respected, it never occurred to us to do business any differently. From our loose goods to our mounted line, we maintain the strictest of standards. Our motto, ‘Tight Standards for Loose Diamonds,’ expresses our philosophy of business.”

In fact, their reputation precedes them especially when they make their overseas buying trips. “Our suppliers don’t even bother to show us all their goods. They know that we scrutinize virtually every diamond we buy, from the smallest melee to the largest single stone.” says Bob. “Our fancy shapes are all fine shape and make; you’ll never find a short, squatty marquis or oval in our inventory. If we wouldn’t be proud to sell it, we won’t buy it.”

Their customers rely absolutely on the Gottlieb reputation. According to Dennis DeVries, DeVries Jewelry Store, Grand Rapids, MI, “Speaking as the owner of a fourth-generation retail jewelry store, it is a great comfort to know we can count on a firm like Gottlieb Brothers that represents generations of knowledgeable and honest family business.” DeVries gives an example. “Our customer wanted 1.30 ct. tw earrings of a slightly better color and clarity than is normally found in stud earrings. Gottlieb Brothers was able to match a great pair for us.”

Close, accurate grading of diamonds is the foundation of the Gottlieb business. Bob. Sr., with more than 50 years of experience, always told the boys, “There’s no reason to try to fool the jeweler with exaggerated grading. Over-grading only infuriates the jeweler and delays the sales process,” quotes Alan. “And the only one who profits is the post office,” finishes Bob.

Because of their accuracy, the Gottliebs have flourished while concentrating on the better end. Well-made diamonds in “I” and better color and “I1” and better in clarity make up the preponderance of their inventory. However, their stock is varied enough to supply most requirements.

That’s why customers like Milton Roth, Roth Jewelers, Waterloo, Iowa, call Gottlieb Brothers frequently. “We have a rapport with Bob and Alan that gives us an excellent working relationship--very important to us because of our ‘Brown Box.’ The box is a display we have developed for loose diamonds, three different qualities in each of 8 sizes. Our grading of these diamonds was developed over a number of years. Each size and quality must fit quite exactly into the proper place in the display box. The Gottliebs understand perfectly, so we can do business with just a phone call. When we need a special stone on short notice,” Roth continues” Gottlieb makes the extra effort to choose the stone quickly and ship it special handling. They give us next-day service, which frequently is the difference between making or losing a sale.

Of course, the “impossible” takes a little longer.

“We had a customer come into our store looking for, believe it or not, a matched pair of 2 ct. rounds, for earrings that had to be D-VS1 GIA-certified.” This story comes from Sandy Connor, Friedlander Jewelers, Chicago. “Our customer had been all over Chicago, all over cities around the country, with no luck at all. I called Gottlieb Brothers because I know that have a great knack for hunting down difficult calls like this. In two days, I had, in my hands, two D-VS1s that were as close a match as two diamonds I’ve ever seen. Our customer couldn’t believe it, and neither could we. We made a sale of $48,500 and a customer for life!”

Having established their niche in the loose-goods marketplace, the Gottlieb Brothers take great pride in their mounted line. “We use better quality diamonds in all our mounted pieces,” explains Jane Hidaka, head of the mounting department and a 20-year colleague of Alan and Bob. “We pay particular attention to the setting of diamonds in our pieces. Our eternity rings, just one example, are absolutely magnificent. Each piece in the line has to get past me. It has to be perfect, or it goes back to the manufacturer.”

Pleasing the customer means maintaining a close working relationship with outstanding craftsmen, because some needs can be met only by original designs. “We have made some incredible pieces for our customers, truly heirlooms,” says Jane.

Guided as they are by tradition, the Gottlieb Brothers and staff are nevertheless tireless innovators. Cutting-edge, unique styles are an important element of the mounted line. “We don’t want to offer the same rings you see in every other collection. To be competitive, your goods have to be fresh and exciting,” according to Alan. The result is a beautiful, updated group of semi-mounts, bridal sets, wedding rings, wrap-arounds and bracelets, genuinely outstanding in the market.

This commitment to staying ahead of the crowd definitely pays off. Gottlieb Brothers has just been named the exclusive Midwest distributors of Laudiam, an Italian manufacturee that is producing a beautiful, contemporary version of “diamonds by the yard” neck chains. “We were knocked out by these chains. They’re just fabulously made, and the way the diamonds are set is different from anything I’ve ever seen.” Alan’s excitement is evident in his voice, perhaps the most instantly recognizable speaking voice among jewelers in this country. “It’s not often you get to represent a line that’s unique. These will take the country by storm; we’ll be selling them by the mile, not by the yard!

Salesmanship is something the brothers learned at their grandfather’s knee. “‘One or a thousand,’ my grandfather would always say,” recalls Bob. “That was his shorthand for putting in the same level of effort and attentions, whether the customer was buying one stone or many.

“We are customer-driven, doing whatever it takes to satisfy our clients. We’ll send anything we can out on memo. If we don’t have it, we’ll scour the markets to get it, but we won’t send just anything. If we don’t have it and can’t find it, we simply say so.”

Of course, the flip side of the coin of salesmanship is merchandising, and Gottlieb Brothers show their creativity and service orientation here as well. They have put together a promotional package for their customers, the “Traveling Show Line.” This is a trunk show sent out for a three-day weekend event, about 125 pieces of mounted gold-and-diamond jewelry, all “live{ for delivery. But the strategy behind this line is the complete marketing support the Gottliebs provide, at no additional charge. Professionally designed ad slicks, a press release, scripts for radio spots and 100 full-color postcards to be personalized by the retailer make this a turn-key operation that has proven to generate traffic. “That’s the name of the game. If you can get your customer into the store, you are over the biggest hurdle,” assures Alan.

Presentation is always vital, too, so the brothers created a pendant-earring-solitaire program with a custom display case that slides easily to any showcase. “In this competitive economy, we know that our customers--independent retailers and family-owned jewelers--have to compete with the biggest, most heavily advertised franchises and mail order houses. We do everything we can to ensure that our customers, and theirs, can do what’s best in the long run--to purchase quality merchandise from someone they know personally and can trust implicitly.” Bob continues, “Honesty, quality and creativity are what make us stand out from the crowd. There’s no greater pleasure in any business than seeing your customers succeed.”

For further information, contact
Gottlieb Brothers, Inc.
55 E. Washington, Suite 745
Chicago, IL 60602

Tel: 800-767-2220
FAX: 312-609-2444