Life is full of unforgettable moments, and at TQ Diamonds, Tim and Kim Quigley have built their business around being a part of these milestones. Whether it’s an engagement, a wedding, or the birth of a child, the Quigleys have dedicated themselves to providing a personal and meaningful experience for their clients' special milestones.
“You get to be a part of everybody's family at the best moments in life. The jewelry business is very sentimental. It's very personal. I’m honored to have spent the last 38 Christmases assisting the Madison public with finding the gift that they truly love and they're proud to present their significant other” says Tim Quigley, owner and founder of TQ Diamonds.
Tim’s fascination with gemstones started early. Always the romantic, he bought his high school girlfriend a pair of opal earrings. When he went back to the same store at the mall to replace the one she’d lost, the price was more for one earring than it had been for the pair. Shocked, he ended up at a jewelry store on Odana Road where the replacement earring cost something like 10 bucks compared to the 70 at the big box store. He and the owner hit it off and he started working there as part of a marketing class.
After taking on more and more responsibility at that store, Tim convinced his parents to loan him the start-up funds for his own jewelry store instead of going to college. It was a tough sell to his risk-averse parents, but they worked out a deal and he opened TQ Diamonds in 1987. He and Kim started dating a few years later. She started working at the store in 1995 and has been there ever since.
“During the marketing class, you had to come up with an entire business plan and he got a D on owning his own business. He always thinks that's pretty funny” jokes his wife Kim.
High school marketing class notwithstanding, TQ Diamonds just celebrated 37 years in business, and they’ve become something of an institution in the community.
“The community has been awesome to us, and we try to give back as much as we can,” says Kim.
TQ Diamonds supports a variety of local non-profits and organizations throughout the year including Tellurian, Greywolf Foundation, Safe Harbor, and Bridge to Brighter. The Quigleys’ involvement in the community extends beyond donations. Tim is known for visiting local schools to talk about gemstones and geology, inspiring students to learn about the craft. This personal touch has left a lasting impression on many young people who later return to TQ Diamonds to mark their own milestones.
“One thing that I love the most about the business is you get to help people during the best of times. There are people I sold engagement rings to in the 80s and 90s and now their kids are coming in and buying engagement rings. I'm selling second generation engagement rings to people I saw as little kids growing up” says Tim.
Their customers aren’t the only ones looking to the next generation - their children, Tanner and Taryn, have joined the business. Tanner focuses on sales, while Taryn is becoming a Graduate Gemologist with the Gemological Institute of America. The family dynamic adds another layer of connection to their work.
“Now all four of us are working together, so that's been really awesome to have something that we can give to our kids after we decide that we're finished.”
And with learning the business, comes learning the tradition of being a truly local jewelry store.
“We're able to offer customization to our clients far outside what a big box store can do. What's going to make you happy? What's special to you? What's unique?” Says Tim.
“We take pride in the fact that we offer a service to our clients. We spend a lot of time with them. We get to know them. We find out their stories, where they work, and what they do. If it's just a guy shopping for his gal, we want to know everything about her so that we can lead him in the right direction. We want to treat 'em like family.”
“You get to be a part of everybody's family at the best moments in life."
We take pride in the fact that we offer a service to our clients. We spend a lot of time with them. We get to know them.