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FEATURED INTERVIEW
Meet
Owner, Marrella & Co
Fine Jewels
John B. Marrella
John Marrella is a retail business owner of fine jewels. Though there is much to be found at his shop in Royal Oak, Michigan, John’s love for rebuilding, strengthening and creating something new from a valued item is at the forefront of what he has to offer. Give him a call or stop by. You’ll be impressed with his ability to transform and bring back items of old, making most apparent, the emotion of its owner.
My husband and I are frequent customers. From the first time we met John and his lovely wife, we knew that we were in the right place. John’s demeanor was kind, welcoming and deliberate to understand what we needed. As experts do, he began to address our requests by listening first, then suggested thoughtfully, the next steps. Sourcing decades of industry knowledge and experience, we look to John to direct us on how best to proceed with precious finds.
Whether you are looking for a special ring and other jewels or want a high-end watch repaired, or even an average time piece assessed, John is the guy. I’m happy to advance the connection. Tell your family, friends and colleagues, too.
Marrella & Company
32889 Woodward Ave.
Royal Oak, Michigan 48073
Recently, I asked John to allow me to ask him a few questions. You’ll find a summary of the interview in this publication. The fuller audio is available to our member community. It’s the Positive Network Community and it’s free to join. - Lita
Co-owner and partner Patricia Marrella (John's mother) grew up in the industry working alongside her parents in the family business. Patricia's parents owned and operated King's Jewelers for over 40 years, and it is from her father that John learned the art of fine jewelry and watches.
Q: How did you get started in this business?
John explained, when given an opportunity to go to summer camp “... I always wanted to go stay at my grandparents because when I could go stay with them at their home for the summer, I had the opportunity to get involved in the process of working on [watches]. And of course, as a young man, it was very exciting for me to earn what my grandfather would call folding money. "
Q: Nice! So, was the specialty watches?
“[Grandfather's] specialty was watchmaking and watch repair. Of course, that's a huge part of what I do in my business. I have watched people come in that are collectors and they'll need me to consult with them on something that they're looking at buying perhaps online... so, I change from my sales hat or my repair hat to my consulting hat. There's a lot of things that are out in the marketplace that are not always correct or original or worthy of investment. I do work with a lot of watch collectors and help them to make good decisions. "
Q: What do you think is the cause of your longevity at [your current location]?
“What I bring to the table has value. So, I am never going to be the lowest common denominator. Our prices are very fair. And I think that we are worth our salt, as my grandfather [would say]".
Q: What would you say is your primary interaction with customers?
John Marrella, founder of Marrella & Company and experienced jeweler of over 25 years, recalls being in his grandparent’s store at a very early age. As a young man he spent summers with his grandparents working in the business.
“It's hard; [in] that people come in looking for something different often. One of our strong points, of course, is our custom work. We do a lot of custom jewelry, pieces that are made from scratch. And particularly now with people, they want something that not everyone else has. They don't want to be cookie cutter. They don't want to be all the same. They want to be bespoke or original, unique. So that's [the] real point where we kind of excel.
I have people come in and I can work with their metal, with their stones, what they've inherited, where a lot of jewelers just want to sell, sell, sell. No, people come in with things that are maybe sentimental and perhaps the piece isn't their style, but they want to use the same gold that was in their father's ring, their grandmother's and they want to make something using that physical material. So, I can do that. I can work with your metal and your stones. I think custom work is a very strong point of what we do. I also do a lot of restoration on antique and period pieces of jewelry. So that's another thing that not only do we do the watches, but we do an awful lot with jewelry. And I try to also have things in the store that are... unique that you won't just see anywhere else. That's what keeps people coming back because they know they can come in and find something that's different. And look, if somebody has $50 or $100 to spend, I have something for you. And obviously I have something for a lot more as well."
Q: What are you most passionate about?
“The vintage side of the business ... the vintage timepieces and the history of them. Working on older pieces to their original integrity ... [or] designing that special piece and executing it to perfection."
Q: What gets you up in the morning ... to have twenty plus years [in the business]?
“The experience to have a happy new customer.”
Q: Any advice for people just starting out in your industry?
"It's challenging."
Q: What makes it challenging?
“You can make it complicated, ... with tech or paying sales tax and another minute you're designing something for a customer and then in another minute you know you're taking care of let's say your roof leak ... so you have to be willing to wear many hats and be many people. But I guess my suggestion is to anybody who would want to go into this business, be sure that's what you're passionate about. Because you have to love it. If you don't love it every day, you're not going to be successful and you're not going to be happy."
Q: Is there any scoop you'd like to share?
“In what I call fine dining—exceptional service. So recently I went to ... Capitol Grill. And I will tell you that we had a wonderful meal from the service, the table service ... that someone like I would notice. I mean ... they crumb your table ... it was really exceptional. I think they're well run, great food... [at Somerset Mall Troy, MI]."
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