A LEGACY JEWELER’S ULTRA-LUXURIOUS NEW SHOWROOM LAUNCHES THE NEXT ERA OF A STORIED BUSINESS

BY ERIK SCHONING PHOTOS BY ALEX BARRETO

Leonardo Jewelers’ recently unveiled Red Bank showroom puts the art in state-of-the-art: the new location, opened at the beginning of the year, is a who’s who of the most prominent names in high-end jewelry and horology, from David Yurman and Roberto Coin to Rolex and Breitling. But don’t let the modernity of the showroom fool you; Leonardo Jewelers’ roots go way back, and as the company celebrates 60 years in business, the Zeik family is building on its rich heritage, one customer at a time.

The Leonardo Jewelers story dates back to the early 1960s, when Leonardo Zeik, an industrious Lebanese Cuban immigrant, packed up a briefcase and traveled up and down the streets of Elizabeth to sell his wares. His son, Leo Zeik, just one year old when his family moved to New Jersey, remembers those early days.

“He was a Cuban immigrant, and a lot of Cubans were coming to NJ at that time,” Zeik said. “They needed all sorts of basic things. He went to friends’ houses and sold chains and bracelets. He opened a small store on Third Avenue, offering jewelry and even toaster ovens – a little bit of everything.”

Today, that original briefcase is on display in the Red Bank showroom, an homage to the humble roots of a now thriving luxury business. Since its beginnings, Leonardo Jewelers has always been a family business; gradually, as the years passed, Leonardo Zeik’s son and daughters took the wheel. Today, Leo Zeik and his sisters are passing the baton to their own children, who are co-owners in their own right.

“We’re already a third-generation business,” Zeik said. “We have a great staff, but there’s always a family member around somewhere. These days, I’m pretty much the administrator, while the third generation handles anything that needs to be taken care of. I know the business is in good hands.”

The new Red Bank showroom represents the next chapter for Leonardo Jewelers, a renewed commitment to working with the quality brands that have seen the business through its first 60 years. The new space, complete with plush sitting areas and coffee stations, is a far cry from the jewelry showrooms of yesteryear; elegant yet approachable, the Leonardo Jewelers showroom invites clients to make themselves comfortable while spending time in the presence of stunning jewelry.

Designed by a Rolex-approved architect, the store’s layout allows each vendor to create a custom feel. (Consistency is the name of the game with high-end timepieces and jewelry; it’s the reason why every Breitling boutique, for example, has that signature brick wall and wooden floor finish.) A dedicated Rolex area, tucked away from the main showroom and designed in close collaboration with the brand, features a custom-built watch repair center, a Rolex-approved storage cabinet, and a private seating area. Every detail, from the lighting to the polishing and watch cleaning machines, is hand-selected by Rolex.

“The Rolex corner is just spectacular,” Zeik said. “They’ve given us the opportunity to build this state-of-the-art showroom, and that’s a real vote of confidence in what we’re doing. There are so few Rolex dealers worldwide. It’s an honor to be one.”

The family is always studying the latest in timepiece design; as a self-avowed “watch nut,” Zeik is an expert in the materials and technologies at the forefront of today’s styles. He believes that, as a seller of these pieces, his responsibility is to stay abreast of the latest innovations and trends, from new, anti-magnetic lightweight materials to increased power reserves and seamless ceramic bezels. The brands Leonardo Jewelers partners with continually strike a balance between modern and classic – the same harmony the Zeik family achieved in their new showroom.

Leonardo Jewelers started partnering with Rolex in the early ‘70s, and the entire showroom is a testament to the long-term relationships the Zeik family has built in the jewelry business. There was a time when they had no other option but to travel to Italy to connect with jewelry-makers; today, in a globalized jewelry and timepiece industry, those relationships thrive at trade shows and industry events. The Zeiks’ longstanding relationships with brands like Messika, Verragio, and Tag Heuer, along with newer partnerships, such as the high-end Grand Seiko line, reflect the importance of fostering connection.

“[Legendary NYC jewelry-maker] Sasha Primak was at the grand opening of our new showroom,” Zeik said. “He was reminiscing about how he sold to my father 40 years ago, and today we’re still partnering with one another. He came to the store as a tribute to my father and because of the relationship we have.”

These relationships extend the other direction, too, from the Leonardo Jewelers family to their clients. The company’s robust bridal business, for example, specializes in natural diamonds in partnership with Primak and designers like Verragio. Couples who bought engagement rings from Zeik’s father are now sending their grandchildren to the showroom to pick out engagement rings of their own.

“The business continues to grow,” Zeik said. “We were always taught to be good to people, and we maintain clients for a very long time. And thankfully, on top of that, every day we’re getting more and more clients. We’re not here to make one sale. We’re here to form a relationship for many, many years.”

As Leonardo Jewelers passes into the hands of its third generation, Zeik remains confident that while trends, technologies, and styles will continue to evolve, certain elements will always be timeless, like quality, customer service, and passion for the craft. And when time does indeed matter, well, they’ve got an exceptional watch collection, too.

Leonardo Jewelers

73 Broad Street, Red Bank; 665

Middlesex Ave #125, Metuchen leonardojewelers.com