Martin Busch Jewelers

Eva Busch

You’re the third generation at the helm of Martin Busch Jewelers. Tell us about growing up in the family business.

I definitely was a shop kid for sure. I’ve worked here since I was 15 and I started managing when I was 30. I started as a back-office assistant when I was a teenager. I grew up coming to the store with my parents. My uncle Marty, who owned the store, was a very beloved uncle so we spent a lot of time with him here and he would make this a really special place to visit. I have a lot of happy memories here.

What business practices or values did your Uncle Marty have that are still important to the business several decades later?

Oh, so many! I think this is what drives me. I’ve never particularly had a passion for jewelry as a product, but my uncle was a man of exceptional character. He passed away in 2006 and we still have people come in pretty regularly who share stories of what an exceptional human being he was. He was very purpose-driven, very principle-driven. He didn’t have his own children – this store was his baby. He loved this place and he built it into his image of how he felt the world should be. He loved jewelry and he loved selling jewelry but he really was a true humanitarian. He had a driving principle that this would be a place that was welcoming to everybody; that jewelry was very much for everybody. Not exclusive and not necessarily luxury, in that it had to have a luxury price tag. And extremely customer-centered and customer-driven. We try to uphold those practices every day. A lot of the things we do are things he did in the 50s, 60s and 70s – making personal calls, reaching out to clients and building lifelong relationships. And being about how you’re making the customer feel when they’re with you, as much as selling them something they may want or need. It’s his legacy. It’s what drives me to continue on the hard days.

What is it like being in the Financial District of New York? What is the atmosphere of the community?

It’s awesome. I love downtown. My uncle did too. People ask me all the time why the store is in the Financial District and it doesn’t have a bad rap, but it’s so overlooked. The Financial District used to be strictly a business district but now it’s extremely residential. People assume the Financial District doesn’t have a sense of community – that is not true at all. It is the best. Our customers are the best. We have been through so much; 9/11, Hurricane Sandy, COVID. These people show up for us all the time. I cannot put into words how blessed we are that no matter what happens people will continue to patronize us.

I always tell people I grew up with the neighborhood. It’s super cool here. We have really cool historic sites, really cool architecture. And it’s the meeting place of all the subway and bus lines so you can be in any borough in ten minutes. It’s great. I love it here.

Explain the process of custom jewelry design from the initial idea to the piece ready to wear.

We start with an idea. Maybe the customer has a very flushed-out, very specific idea. That’s great. Or maybe the customer has a general idea and you have to flush it out. Once gemstones are selected and designs are selected we do what is called a CAD rendering. It’s a very realistic drawing done by a computer that shows the client what their hypothetical piece would look like. Then, we do model-making which entails utilizing a 3D printer to print a resin model of the design. What’s nice about them is that they can be extremely precise and can be tried on by the client. Once the design is approved then it goes into production. Production involves casting the piece in platinum or gold – white gold, yellow gold or rose gold. And then it’s pre-polished and fine-polished and then we set any stones that the design may have. We do the setting and then it goes into final finishing. And then it’s ready to go.

We have three companies that we work with that do castings. We utilize them to do the drawings and then do the casting. And we have a bench jeweler who will do the finishing work. If the customer knows what they want and the design is approved on the first cast, we can have it done in 2 weeks. That’s the requirement and benefit of living in New York City. We have access to amazing facilities here in midtown that can work quickly. We have access to the best of the best in the jewelry business in New York City which is fabulous. The expectation in New York City is that you can turn something around quickly.

Besides selling jewelry, what other services do you provide?

We are a full-service, very high-volume custom and repair store. We do offer jewelry out of the cases but 50% of our business is from jewelry repair and custom design. We service any fine jewelry item – anything made out of platinum, gold or silver with precious and semi-precious gemstones.

Do you have a special story you can share of a special purchase or design project?

I have so many but this one popped into my mind. I have this family that is a customer of mine – a husband and wife and two little boys. They are the most awesome family. The husband and wife always shop for each other here and she always comes up with the coolest projects. He is a structural engineer. This man builds some of the most complicated, most amazing buildings in New York City. He did the TWA terminal which was converted at LaGuardia Airport. And she made him TWA wing cufflinks. She brought me a piece of marble from the floor that he had from the project and we put them into the cufflinks. She does really thoughtful gifts like that for her husband.

A couple of years ago he worked on One Vanderbilt Place which is an incredible building on our skyline now. It has a really cool top – the spire. She was telling me about how he and his engineering team couldn’t get the spire right. It was so much work and they kept having to go back to the drawing board and it was this huge achievement that he did the spire. So we made him cufflinks of the top of the building. If you look out at the skyline it’s a really cool, iconic building and he has these cufflinks to remember the hard work he put into designing it. This gift was so thoughtful and so technically difficult. It was definitely out of the ordinary and something that tested my skills. It was the coolest project and they give each other the coolest, most sentimental gifts. I feel like they know what jewelry is for. It’s not about the item, it’s about the meaning behind it.

How do you stay on top of jewelry trends while also offering timeless, classic pieces?

We are a very traditional jewelry store. The stuff we sell is traditional, the way we do business is traditional. Old school, mom-and-pop jewelry store. We do carry some fashion-forward items, we always do but we still sell a lot of the classics. We don’t tend to have big rushes on trendy items. I feel like when I try to bring in trendy items that I see online or on people, it doesn’t sell because it’s just not really our vibe. Our customer base definitely gears more toward classic and less modern trends.

What styles are currently popular? 

Definitely yellow gold. Now we’re seeing a lot of yellow gold being introduced in engagement rings. I think the popularity of lab-grown diamonds is driving that. A lot of tennis bracelets, a lot of diamond studs, a lot of diamond pendants which are always going to be classic. They were always prevalent but now with access to lab-grown diamonds, they’re much more accessible for people to get the size they want for less money. The majority of our gemstones are natural but we do have a selection of lab-grown diamonds and that selection sells very well.

What do you like most about being in the jewelry business?

Absolutely the people. I’ve sold a lot of stuff in my life – I’m a very good salesperson. It’s what I like to do. Nothing is quite as relationship-building as jewelry. It has such a special purpose. It’s something that nobody needs. It’s not a basic necessity. It’s something that we buy to make ourselves feel good. So right off the bat, generally, you’re dealing with happy clientele that are celebrating something or honoring something that is special to them. Jewelry is really personal and really special. The connections you make are very intense in the jewelry business, and lifelong in some cases. I’m a people person. I like to meet people and hear people’s stories. We’re in New York City, everybody has a cool story.

What are your recommendations for Valentine’s Day gifts?

I’m going to say the diamond tennis bracelet. We’ve sold so many in the last year. It is classic, you can’t go wrong with it. We carry it in natural diamonds, we carry it in lab-grown diamonds, we carry it in white gold and in yellow. There is a diamond tennis bracelet for everybody. We have sizes one carat all the way up to five carats. There’s a size and color for everybody. It is an essential staple item for any woman’s wardrobe. And with natural or lab-grown diamonds there is a price point for everybody. There is an affordable option for everybody. It doesn’t matter what someone’s taste is. It’s a staple piece that can be built with a very timeless or modern jewelry wardrobe.

Anything else you’d like to share?

I am so grateful that we are still here and get to do what we do every day in this community. It’s really because of the people here and the customers that keep returning. We are luckier than anyone deserves. We love downtown and all the great memories our customers have given us. We’re so blessed to get to continue to do this. I’m grateful every day.

February, 2025