Family. Success. Pure Elegance.

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF

LOUIS ANTHONY JEWELERS

The purchase of an engagement ring or any fine piece of jewelry is a purchase done with care. Customers look for quality and a retailer they can trust, what better place to buy a sentimental gift than from a loving family?

The Guarino family of Louis Anthony Jewelers works together to bring their community fine jewelry and timepieces. Louis Jr. and Veronica Guarino, early in their twenties, took a risk and opened their own jewelry store in 1990. Sacrifices were made and much time was given. Veronica sold her engagement ring to raise funds to get the business started.

“Louis Jr. had always worked in jewelry stores,” said Veronica. “He decided that he wanted to take care of his clients better and do it on his own.”

It’s wasn’t an easy ride, but now the family has proudly been working together to sell fine jewelry for 25 years. The family might be business partners during the week, but every Sunday they put business aside and sit down for a family dinner. In addition to Louis Jr. and Veronica, the rest of the business team consists of daughters Amie and Vanessa, son Lou III, and relatives Lea Guarino and Debbie Swoyer.

When the business began, the internet didn’t exist and the children were very young at the time. “I would drive around with the kids to go personally visit Louis Jr.’s customers to let them know about the new business,” Veronica said.

Connecting with new customers was done the old fashioned way. Veronica and Louis Jr. tackled the tedious task of looking up potential clients in the white pages and sending them personal letters or visiting their homes.

Happily married for 34 years, the couple knows a lot about the jewelry business, but needed a little help with new trends, technology, and the social media world. That’s where they are thankful their children stepped in.

“They help us stay up to date with technology trends,” Veronica said.

After college, youngest daughter Vanessa came straight to work for the family business and took over the social media. Vanessa’s decision to join Louis Anthony Jewelers right after school was based on her desire to work with her family and also the businesses growing need for young talent to run the social media department. She has very successfully run that for three years now as it continues to thrive. Vanessa continues to prosper with growing responsibilities, as she has now taken on administrative tasks as well as launching her own company. She followed her parents’ lead and stepped out as a business owner, starting a company called Social Media Diva.

Amie, the oldest among the Guarino children, worked in hospitality after school, but soon joined the family business. Originally her career was in fashion design, but she soon realized her families’ business would allow her to merchandise, design, and fulfill her creative outlook as well as being involved in an environment where she has a vested interest.

Three years ago she took her career step further and designed her own jewelry line called Amelia Jewel. Containing beads and unique elements, each component of the pieces are hand-selected and reflect her personal style. Today, the line is one of the top selling brands in the store.

Lou III has made his own special mark on the family business. After working as a production assistant in New York, his career was at a crossroad. The opportunity to be a part of the family business was something that had always been a constant in his life. He decided it was time to make that move before more time had passed. Six years later Lou III hasn’t looked back. Being responsible for sales, marketing, and on-going education, he continues to excel and contribute greatly to the business.

The closeness of the family doesn’t stop there, to this day a special guest stops by the store each afternoon. Since the store’s opening, Louis Jr.’s parents would visit every day to show their support and check in on their family. After the passing of his father last year, Lou Jr.’s mother still continued the daily visits. “She comes in, has a cup of coffee, sits in the lunch room, and chats with everyone there,” Veronica said.

Louis Jr.’s parents started a tradition of support and love through their consistent dedication over the years. A tradition that has continued to grow within the family and is greatly instill in each of them. This is quite clear when dealing with the Guarino family and the Louis Anthony Jewelers’ team on both a personal and professional level.

When you walk into the store, it’s not like your typical jewelers. Time is taken to get to know each customer and their desires. Guests are greeted with cookies and coffee, and treated like family. Although the store is large and the selection of merchandise diverse, the store retains an intimate feel due to the outgoing nature and natural charm of the sales team. “It is a first name basis store. Customers appreciate being remembered and often stop by just to say ‘Hello,’” Veronica says.

The business has always been located in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, but moved to its current location on North Highland Road in 2000 and has expanded three times since then.

After 25 years of business, many clients still remember the first marketing slogan Veronica created. In 1992, Veronica came up with the “Have we met...yet?” billboard campaign that launched the business to significant success. “No one was using billboards at the time. But it blew up and brought in tons of customers,” said Veronica. Dedication, a personal touch, and a brilliant marketing campaign is what really drove their business to grow at the time. Times may have changed, but billboards of the family with new slogans such as “Generations of Style” can still be found throughout the region.

As Louis Anthony Jewelers enters its’ 25th year in business, plans to celebrate that special occasion with the community are in the works, the family says. It’s such a special occasion that they want to share it with all of those who have helped propel the business to unparalleled success.

By Stacy Skiavo

THE DEDICATEDTEAM

Marian Fuller

Debbie Swoyer

Heather Gorman

Brenda Holt

Eric Hoffman

Andrea Kaczmarek

Lea Guarino

Lou (Geeg) Guarino III

Amelia Guarino

Vanessa Guarino

Veronica Guarino

Louis Guarino Jr.

Mike Matus