In 1991, lots of interesting things happened. The New York Giants defeated the Buffalo Bills 20-19 in Super Bowl XXV. Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to address the United States Congress. The Super Nintendo was released in the United States. And right here in Grand Junction, Mesa Jewelers opened its doors.
John Kelly started Mesa Jewelers and for about 27 years, Mesa Jewelers was in the Mesa Mall, but in 2018 they moved to a much bigger location downtown, 444 Main Street.
"The move to downtown was really good for us," John says. "We have a lot more room to showcase what we have, as well as work on jewelry, and create custom jewelry."
Inside, you’ll notice the display cases. They’re full of all kinds of beautiful jewelry.
John co-owns the store with his son Chris. Not only that, but they are both certified Gemologists. Chris is a Graduate Gemologist. So what does that mean to a jewelry shopper? To become a Gemologist, one must complete some rigorous schooling, and to become a Graduate Gemologist is even more challenging. Certification also requires certain skill assessments, which must be passed with 100% accuracy. How does that compare to other career choices and proficiency requirements? An aspiring lawyer can score as low as 260 out of 330 on the BAR exam (78%) and still pass. An aspiring family practice doctor needs to stay above 90% to receive a medical license, which is difficult, but still not a required 100%.
Mesa Jewelers values education and all of the full-time staff have certificates from the G.I.A. in specialized skill sets. They do this because they want to be confident in the gems they sell as well as give their clients confidence that they are getting what they want. Whether that be an exclusive designer collection, a special diamond, Elvis's pocket watch or more recently Hugh Heffner’s cufflinks at one of their estate sales, or designing and skillfully crafting a custom 1 of 1 piece for a loved one. Mesa Jewelers has heavily invested in making your experience a fantastic one. One of those investments is keeping John Attonito on staff. John Attonito has been a professional goldsmith and diamond setter since 1988. He graduated from the Joseph Bulova School of Jewelry Design and Repair and has been with Mesa Jewelers since 2002. When you come in, he’ll likely be working on another one-of-a-kind for a client. It’s really fascinating to watch him work.
Looking to incorporate heirloom jewelry or gems into something uniquely crafted for your vision of something special? Look no further than the skilled hands and friendly staff of Mesa Jewelers!