Lyndsay Fogarty
Owner Frank Walters, who was born and raised in Orlando, named his family-run business after his grandmother. Since he opened the doors, he has followed his mother’s advice: Don’t ever forget that when somebody walks in this door, they probably pass two or three other stores to get to you. Let them know how much you appreciate that.
Walters and his team take pride in having their customers’ backs, and they treat everyone like a family member. They do this by actually listening to the customer’s story and learning about the vision before creating a one-of-a-kind piece or repairing something he or she thought was impossible.
The store’s reputation has spread as far as Tampa, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Melbourne and more, with new out-of-town customers visiting Victoria Jewelers on a weekly basis. These customers say repeatedly it’s because they have heard others rave about the high-quality pieces that are produced at the store and the exceptional customer service throughout the entire process.
For Walters, that has been the key not only to gaining new customers but also to bringing them back again and again. “We appreciate those who drive far and especially our local customers who have become friends,” he says. “Now that I’ve been open for 30 years, I’ve designed jewelry for the grandparents, children, grandchildren and now great grandchildren. It’s been a blessing.”
The customer experience at Victoria Jewelers has remained a refreshing one. While the team is at the forefront of technology, it still feels like a special, intimate experience in the neighborhood jewelry store.
“I’ve built my business on being honest, fair and educating my customers,” Walters says. “It’s a common occurrence for a new customer to walk in and say they asked a stranger where they got their diamond because it sparkled from across the room.”
He shares that it is because of the cut. Walters always looks for the best cut in a diamond because he feels it is the most important attribute and what sets the store’s in-house pieces apart from the rest. Victoria Jewelers is an authorized Forevermark store because they focus on the same criteria.
While customers can purchase designer jewelry from the case, custom jewelry is the absolute specialty. The staff consists of three Master Jewelers, a GIA Graduate Gemologist, an AGS Certified Gemologist, Central Florida’s only American Gem Society Accredited Gem Laboratory, and a sales team proficient in computer-aided design. They make ideas a reality.
“Our customers love having jewelers in the building,” Walters says. “It means their valuables don’t need to be sent off. If it’s something simple, oftentimes it can be taken care of at the store while the customer is at lunch.”
He has big dreams for the next 30 years at Victoria Jewelers. He has built a home for the store in Baldwin Park, with a staff that includes his daughter, son-in-law and others who have been loyal employees for up to 25 years.
“My hope for the future is that my life’s work is something that I can pass on to my children,” Walters says. “To me, if I can pass the legacy of this store on, that would be the ultimate.”
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