Meet Igor Tuchinsky,the Son in the Father & Son Team behind...
Bel Jewelers
by Linda Herman

Bel Jewelers, a Northeast Philadelphia mainstay on Verree Road and Red Lion Road is another story of a father and son team making "good."

I spent some time this month talking with Igor Tuchinsky, the son in this familial partnership. He briefed me on the how-to's and where-for's on working with his father and mentor, Michael Tuchinsky. "Growing up, my dad would bring home projects to work on. I would see how he worked with his tools, gems and metals and it definitely appealed to me even as a youngster. I think it was the creative side that appealed most. Of course I also found the people-side of retail equally attractive."

Igor, along with his younger sister, Regina, grew up in Montgomery County. She's a senior studying International Business at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. His parents, Michael and Irina came to this country from the Ukraine in the 80's. And although Michael left the Ukraine an engineer, here in Philadelphia, he landed in the heart of downtown's Jewelers' Row working in a cousin's jewelry store.

According to Igor, "My father worked at Gene's Jewelers applying his innate 'hand' skills. He mastered the trade, worked behind the bench and developed a real love of the industry. At some point he came to Bel Jewelers where he worked with its original owners. Again he was involved with not only repairs but also a lot of creative and unique design fabrication. That's been something we continue to this today." As I listened to Igor talk, I thought how interesting to have the expertise and knowledge of a trained engineer and the soul of an artist together, in one person. Could make for extraordinary jewelry!

Michael left Bel Jewelers in 1999 and opened his own shop in Baltimore. Igor got some first hand experience working at this shop... working with customers, repairing, customizing and merchandising. It remained his passion and so when the opportunity to purchase Bel Jewelers arrived, both father and son thought another opportunity had arrived for them. As Igor tells it, "We were still friends with the original owners of Bel, and when they were ready to retire they were happy to sell it to a 'family' member." That was in February, 2008, just one year ago.

Nowadays, Michael continues to manage the jewelry store in Baltimore and Igor manages Bel Jewelers in Philadelphia. Together they handle the merchandising, buying and marketing for both stores. Additionally, any fabricating required is handled jointly. Father and son are an intertwined team and consummate jewelry professionals.

I asked Igor to comment on some changes he's observed vis à vis customer requests and preferences. "Years ago there was a sameness to what people wanted. Remember the Dog Tags that everyone wore? Today, our clients want the unique, an original. No cookie-cutter rings for our discriminating customers. We try to provide those special kinds of pieces. Our clientele is fairly traditional in their tastes. By displaying pieces that are a little more modern, not trendy, I hope to broaden their tastes to include the more contemporary."

We talked about the internet and any impact it's had on his business/industry. And I also wanted to know about those television shopping shows promoting jewelry of all kinds including gold, precious and semi-precious stones. "The internet has definitely affected our business, if only because the consumer is so much more knowledgeable. Though it has educated our customer to make a better purchase, some information is misleading, products are misrepresented and in the end, what seems like a bargain really isn’t. Don’t get me wrong, there are honest jewelers online, but, wouldn’t you feel more comfortable spending your hard earned money on something you can try on and physically see? There's no comparison to working with your 'family jeweler.' And as far as the shopping shows go... your local jeweler is accredited. He or she is a professional who can assure you that your purchase is good value for the money. I know that our customers can make a much better purchase here in our store for the same dollars spent on TV. And along with that purchase comes the assurances of that personal relationship between the buyer and the seller. Those personal assurances do not exist when buying on the internet or TV. Purchasing through an accredited jeweler can alleviate a whole lot of heartache and disappointment down the road."

And trends? "We're seeing a return to yellow gold... and new design for that gold. Yes, I know a lot of people dipped their yellow gold to make it white. And a lot of those pieces actually looked better after dipping. You can have your jewelry 'undipped', but I would look at it closely beforehand to see if you really prefer it yellow. It may really look perfect white, just as it is now."

"We're also seeing many people selling their unwanted gold and precious jewelry. The selling activity may be unprecedented. It may be because of the economy, it could be because the price of gold is at an all time high. We're buying at very agreeable prices. Some people are bringing gold in for us to remake and/or remodel a piece. We do that a lot too. It’s our specialty."
I found Igor to be a charming young man and when he answered what was almost my last question, my impression was only confirmed. I wanted to find out what he thought was the most important piece of jewelry for a woman starting her jewelry wardrobe. He thought for awhile, not too long and said "Her wedding band. Her engagement ring." Naturally I questioned him saying not every woman is going to have a wedding band or engagement ring. "In my mind, the most important pieces are those of greatest sentiment. The wedding band will be something held on to... hopefully, it's the only wedding band a woman receives. Customers are always asking us to restore pieces passed down from one generation to the next. They're not necessarily the most valuable monetarily, but they are the most important sentimentally... and they make the person wearing whatever it may be feel that much more beautiful." (I'm thinking Michael is not the only Tuchinsky with the soul of an artist!!)

So I see he knows his "stuff" as a jeweler, he's got his pulse on the industry and has a great eye for what is beautiful and desirable. What does this delightful bachelor do when he's not schmoozing with a customer or making a wax mold for a ring? "I hang with my friends. I love the shore. I workout at the gym. I like to travel... but only to warm places. You won't find me on the ski slopes! And of course I enjoy spending time with my family. My father, who's just as handy at home, I guess that's the engineer in him, renovated our entire house. That kind of 'handiness' wasn't inherited!"

It was a pleasure spending time with Igor. By the way, to some of his friends he's known as Gary. Regardless of what you call him, he represents the next generation of entrepreneurs and business owners to become established in our greater suburban area. Along with his father, he is continuing the Bel tradition of providing fine jewelry. He's also creating some new traditions of his own. We wish him continued success... and maybe the chance to create that something special for someone special in his life. What do you think Igor?

Bel Jewelers
10101 Verree Road & Red Lion Road
Philadelphia, PA 19116
215-969-6666