Business has increased at the Steve Quick Jeweler stores in Chicago since same-sex marriages became legal in Illinois, yet company owner—and the store namesake—has been supporting the LGBT community for decades.
Steve Quick, 61, who is straight and married to Melissa, took a stance back in the mid-1990s. He placed ads in several major publications, stating, "We believe in the right of all loving couples to be married."
Quick lost customers over the ads, but even now doesn't care.
"I am overjoyed [that LGBT] can finally be legally married," in Illinois, Quick said. "I am big on equality, always have been. I applaud the thought that same-sex couples now have the attention of certain retailers. I just hate the idea of someone's freedom as a trend. Where were they when the fight was being fought? There is much more work to be done."
Quick, who lives in Lake View, grew up in northwest suburban Elk Grove Village. He was working at Century Mall in Chicago when a jeweler took an interest in him and asked if he wanted to switch gears career-wise.
"I was selling jeans next door and Gary King of Kings Keepsake Diamond Center asked if I would rather sell diamonds. I said I would and the rest is history," he said.
Quick is now about 40 years in the jewelry business—and it really has not changed that much, he said.
"We curate the most beautiful pieces we can and bring them to our stores. That is what we have always done," Quick said. "There are more changes from the consumer side than the business side. Our clientele is incredibly well informed and very retail-savvy. The information available via the Internet, along with retail rating sites like Yelp, have eliminated most of the guesswork from our business.
"Before I opened Steve Quick Jeweler, I worked for a few people who took advantage of their customers at every opportunity. You cannot do that if you want to maintain a 5-star rating with Yelp."
Quick said he's been attracted to the industry by its glamour, fame, friendships and more.
"We meet stars both in and out of the industry," he said. "We deal with people daily who are in love or feel like rewarding themselves. We are pretty much kept in a good mood all the time. We serve drinks and chat with people who become friends. The atmosphere in all of our stores reflects my belief that when you visit us, you should feel like you are visiting the home of a friend. When someone who cares about you gives something so far removed from necessity, the reaction is always stunning. We know what we do is not a necessity. We are icing on the cake of your life. Isn't cake always better with icing?"
There are three Chicago locations for Steve Quick Jeweler: Lincoln Square, Lincoln Park and Wicker Park. The stores are open daily, except Monday. The Wicker Park store was awarded the Coolest Store in America prize by InStore magazine, and every person on staff at all stores has a degree from the Gemological Institute of America. Many have advanced degrees.
"My goals are simple: I want to refine and improve our business for both our customers and our team," Quick said. "I know we are one of the best places to shop already, [yet] I want to make it even better. I also want Steve Quick Jeweler to be among the best places you can work, and yes, we are hiring.
"With the addition of our Lincoln Square and Wicker Park locations, my job has changed dramatically. When you go from one to 21 employees, the thing that challenges you the most is the people. Just add a couple of zeros to the numbers and they are all the same. We still curate the most special pieces we can find so that does not change. Staff is another story. I am part-HR department and part-career fair, which occasionally feels like a temp agency, unfortunately. As glamorous as our business is, it requires a lot of work. Once the work goes in, it also pays very well. A little time and a lot of work are the investment. Not everyone is OK with that equation."
Quick admitted that he once envisioned himself as a rock star, but he knew he lacked talent and luck to excel.
He also wanted to be a professional dancer, and though he never was worthy of a spot on FOX-TV's So You Think You Can Dance, he did work in a chorus line for seven years in Hickory Hills. "We opened for everyone in show business, [from] Liza to Frank. It was like a dream. I loved every minute of it. I kept my day job [as a jeweler] for all seven of those years until I left for San Diego to manage a jewelry store. I still have dancing dreams. Once I started my jewelry career I knew it would be my life's work."
Now it also includes the LGBT community, though Quick doesn't see much different from shopping straight couples.
"Two people who have found love are always a joy to interact with," he said. "Once a same-sex couple understands they are in a very safe and welcoming place, they tend to drop their guard pretty quickly and the fun begins."
Quick said the choices of jewelry can be very traditional to very interesting. "Often, the custom projects are very creative. Stones signifying important events or birthdays are sometimes incorporated. Often it is two picture perfect matching engagement rings, each with large round diamonds for a couple. Every couple is different and that is what makes it interesting."
Quick told about a store manager who was engraving a pair of wedding rings for a gay couple—it was the same band in two different sizes. The only difference was, the one word engraving inside the rings. She had to confirm which ring got which word. "Needless to say, I had a difficult time keeping my composure when I heard Patty ask the couple who was the 'pitcher' and who was the 'catcher,'" Quick said.
"[Since] 1986, LGBT customers have been a large part of our success. At several points in the past 28 years we were the closest fine jeweler to Boystown. If I have to quantify, I would say we have seen a 5 percent uptick in same-sex customers. Now that everyone else has discovered the LGBT community there is a lot of competition for their attention."
