Like the glistening diamonds they sell, the Richter & Phillips Company’s new store sparkles and shines.
While bigger and fancier than the former site, the Cincinnati jewelry icon continues to afford its customers its signature trusted service and warm, family-like atmosphere. The company is downtown, right across the street from its old shop. The new store opened last October.
“We’ve been downtown since 1896 and on the corner of Sixth and Main since 1975,” says Eric Fehr, vice president and graduate gemologist. The move across the street was a big leap, he says, but one that was on his father, owner Rick Fehr’s, radar for about 10 years. It has allowed the business a much-needed expansion from its cramped 1,650-square-foot ground floor home in the Gwynne Building at the corner of East Sixth and Main streets to its current 15,000-square-foot quarters.
Timing, apparently, was everything, when it came to this much-needed makeover.
“The stars just aligned for us,” Eric says. The Gwynne Building had sold, and Rolex wanted Richter & Phillips to open a “shop within a shop.”
“When the building across the street came up for sale, we asked ourselves, ‘Should we take the next step?’ and the answer was a resounding ‘Yes!’ ” he says. “We wanted to stay downtown and be part of the renaissance that has been taking place there. Everyone around us was renovating, and we wanted to be part of that. We are really enjoying being part of what is going on down here.”
The building was gutted, with Rick and his brother, Art, the co-owner and vice president, overseeing the project. The result is a more urban, upscale 4,400-square-foot jewelry showroom on the first floor, including a 350-square-foot Rolex boutique. The basement houses offices and storage, and the second and third floors are rented to Reztark Design Studio.
The spacious showroom displays beautiful merchandise from some of the world’s most popular jewelry and watch designers, and offers on-site jewelry repair and Cincinnati’s only on-site Rolex-certified watch specialist. Overall, the store’s staff represents has more than 350 years of expertise, from diamonds and gemology to watches and custom design.
“There’s no issue or question regarding diamonds, jewelry or watches that the Richter & Phillips staff can’t answer,” says Eric. “We want everyone to leave happy – that’s our mantra.”
The Richter & Phillips Company is located at 601 Main Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. For more information, call 513.241.3510 or visit www.richterphillips.com.