EATONTOWN - Growing up in Monmouth County to a jeweler father, John Baghsarian developed a love for jewelry and gemstones early on and began working at Earth Treasures Fine Jewelers in Eatontown nearly four decades ago.
And since taking over the business with longtime colleague and co-owner Jeff Gokey five years ago, the two have brought the well-known Jersey Shore-area destination to sparkling new heights and are excited to celebrate the store’s 50th anniversary this year.
“My dad was a jeweler in Manhattan for 40 years, and though he wanted me to become a ‘bench’ jeweler like himself and do the physical creating and repair work, I didn’t have the patience for that and took a different path by going to gemology school instead,” Baghsarian said.
After graduating from The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in Manhattan, where he learned about gemstones, treatment, grading and research, “I worked at one of the big gem labs in New York City for a while and eventually met Earth Treasures’ original owner, who used to have his diamonds certified by our lab.”
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According to Baghsarian, Earth Treasures was a mom-and-pop store founded by the Bischoff family in 1974. “But even though the business came from humble beginnings and started small with family members, it grew by leaps and bounds due to the family’s integrity, attention to detail and focus on quality and customer service,” he said.
Recognizing that Baghsarian had a gemological pedigree that would help take the business to the next level, “I was the first non-family member hired to work at Earth Treasures in 1985,” he said. “I came in as an appraiser and Jeff Gokey was hired later that same year as an entry-level sales associate.”
“Over the years, I became an appraiser/salesperson and was then appointed to general manager, while Jeff acquired extensive expertise in buying and selling estate jewelry,” Baghsarian said. Five years ago, “the original owner decided to retire but wanted the store’s legacy to continue, so he approached Jeff and me about becoming the new co-owners based on our longevity at the store, experience and skills, and we officially took over in 2019.”
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Moving to a bigger store
Today, “we’re a fine jeweler with a wide range of products and services,” Baghsarian said. “We carry a large selection of brand-new colored gemstones and diamond jewelry, but we’re also well-known for buying and selling ‘pre-loved’ estate jewelry ranging from vintage/antique pieces and watches to modern day items that we offer at fantastic prices.”
“Customers can get a great price on everything from diamond studs and tennis bracelets to engagement rings and more, often at half the price of what they were when they were new,” he said.
“We pride ourselves on offering a diverse selection of fashionable and high-quality jewelry at all price points, and regardless of who you’re shopping for or your budget, there’s something of quality you can buy here,” Baghsarian noted. “From fashion silver items priced from $50 to $100, estate pieces at great savings, and engagement rings from $500 to $1,000 all the way up to colored gemstones and large diamonds in the six-figure range, people know that they’ll get the best value here and that we’ll back the product and be there for them.”
While the business started out on the other side of their plaza in a much smaller space that they eventually doubled in size, “we ultimately wanted to further expand and renovate, so in 2012 we moved across the parking lot and built a brand-new 5,600-square-foot store,” said Baghsarian, adding that Earth Treasures never left their shopping center and stands as the plaza’s only remaining original tenant.
Over the years, Earth Treasures’ enlarged space has enabled the business to spread its wings.
“For example, while a lot of jewelers job out their repairs, we do the majority of our own repairs and custom work right onsite in our large, state-of-the-art workshop, and the sky’s the limit when it comes to what we can create and bring to life for customers,” Baghsarian said.
“And if someone is cleaning out their own or a relative’s house, we can buy most everything they bring, from silver flatware, coins and costume jewelry by the pound to gold, silver, platinum, diamonds, gemstones and even broken chains or dental gold,” he said. “We have six to eight showcases full of estate items and we also grade and test pieces, so if customers come in with an unknown metal, they can rest assured that we have the unique and specialized equipment to properly identify what it is.
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“But regardless of what people bring in to sell or why — whether it’s to pay bills, rid their lives of an old partner, or just trade in or convert a piece to something more modern — we treat every customer with dignity, respect and privacy,” Baghsarian said. “And if they trade something in, they’ll get an extra 20% discount on the new item and will only pay sales tax on the balance.”
Among trends, “we’re known as ‘the diamond store,’ so we sell a lot of engagement rings,” Baghsarian said. “Diamond studs and tennis bracelets have always been staples that go with everything, and diamond eternity bands (in which diamonds circle the entire finger) remain popular. In addition, young people today like custom, specially designed rings that reflect their individuality and we make these pieces ourselves in any size or quality level.”
As for what’s "out," “men’s gold pocket watches and ladies’ shell cameo pendants were in demand years back, but we can’t give them away today,” he said. “And young people no longer want silver flatware because people don’t entertain that way anymore.”
Staffed by 26 trained specialists, including three certified gemologists, “our store’s customers are largely from Monmouth County, but we have many from throughout New Jersey and New York too,” Baghsarian said. “I recently sold a large diamond to a longtime customer of ours in Orlando because people want to do business with people they like and trust.”
While he confirmed that the changing gold markets have rendered it harder to offer a quality item at a competitive price and make a fair profit, and that the low prices offered by some online providers with no brick-and-mortar overhead stand as another challenge, Baghsarian said that the nature of the fine jewelry business positions Earth Treasures well.
“This is a hands-on industry where people like to see, feel and evaluate the products they’re buying,” he explained. “We offer experienced, well-trained, and knowledgeable sales associates here and take pride in developing positive and trusting relationships, regardless of what customers spend.”
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Celebrating special moments
In honor of their half-century in business this year, “our 50th anniversary sale will be running through May 11th and festivities now and throughout 2024 will include special giveaways and prizes, including the opportunity to ‘dig for diamonds’ in a bowl of cubic zirconium in exchange for a $20 donation to the Food Bank of Monmouth County,” Baghsarian said. “We truly want to thank our customers and the community for their incredible support all these years.”
Internally, he added, “we’re like a big family here and our employees are a huge reason for our success. We’re a tight team and we hope this store sees its 100th anniversary!”
Ultimately, “jewelry is an extremely gratifying, emotional and meaningful purchase and we don’t take for granted the joy people experience when they come to Earth Treasures,” Baghsarian said. “We love making people happy, building relationships and serving generations of families.”
“Whether it’s for an engagement, wedding, birthday, anniversary or another milestone event,” he concluded, “we love and feel honored to be a part of all of our customers’ special moments.”
Earth Treasures Fine Jewelers
Location: 178 Route 35 (in Michael's Plaza), Eatontown
Phone: 732-542-5444
Owners: John Baghsarian and Jeff Gokey
Founded: 1974
Website: shopearthtreasures.com
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Earth Treasures owners aim to make landmark Eatontown shop last another 50 years
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