Meet the Next Generation of Family Jewelers

In an industry often defined by tradition, young retail jewelers are proving that honoring legacy and embracing disruption aren’t mutually exclusive. These second-generation jewelers have found ways to keep their parents’ vision alive while addressing shifts in how customers discover, experience and purchase jewelry.  

The ‘social media mensch’ 

When Molli Botnick Schiffer joined Worthmore Jewelers in Atlanta, Georgia, four years ago, she brought more than a fashion degree and Manhattan styling ambitions. She brought something her parents, Harris and Geri Botnick, had struggled to find in outside consultants: an instinctive understanding of how to translate the family’s 32-year-old brand into the digital age. 

“We’ve worked with several marketing companies over the years,” Harris Botnick says. “It was always a struggle to push them outside the box. Molli came pre-programmed to understand the Worthmore way of doing business.” 

Her title of “social media mensch” only hints at her impact. After launching shoppable websites for New York jewelry designers, Schiffer, now 31, returned to Atlanta to help her parents during the Covid-19 disruptions for what was supposed to be two weeks. She’s still there, putting her stamp on everything from inventory selection to customer engagement. 

That understanding extends to merchandise. Three years ago, Schiffer says, she put her foot down for the first time on a buy: a gold and diamond mushroom charm. Her parents were skeptical, but she asked for a year to sell it. It moved on day 342. Today, Worthmore continues to sell Maura Green’s whimsical hand-carved charms, a category that might have seemed incongruous in a traditional fine-jewelry store but perfectly captures the brand’s evolution. 

For the store’s 32nd anniversary, Schiffer proposed giving away Labubus — the popular collectible Chinese elf dolls — with qualifying purchases. After asking her to explain exactly what a Labubu was, her parents signed on to the idea. “We love out-of-the-box promotions, events and jewelry, so this was the perfect promotion,” her father says. “No one walks into a fine-jewelry store expecting to see a Labubu!” 

Schiffer says Worthmore has always blazed a trail when it comes to turning fine jewelry into fun. “My parents have always wanted to be different,” she says. “They taught me to trust your gut; it’s the best resource we have.” 

The entrepreneur 

Alysa Teichman quickly established her own identity after she joined her parents’ Dallas store, Ylang 23, in 2016. Charles and Joanne Teichman are pioneers in designer jewelry, cultivating emerging talent beginning in the mid-1980s. In her role as vice president of business development, their daughter saw an opportunity to reach a new demographic without diluting the flagship brand. 

The result is Wildlike, a piercing concept that became a separate business after Alysa, now 39, tested it at Ylang 23. She describes the concept as the perfect marriage between luxury jewelry and the edgier tattoo and piercing culture.  

“The businesses have a nice halo effect on each other,” she says. “While both businesses focus on experience, the cultures, employees and customers are distinct. For the piercing junkies, it needed a standalone moment.” 

Her parents invested in Wildlike and provided strategic guidance while she proved the concept was, in her words, “magic in a bottle.” Support flows both ways, though.  

“I have learned so much from Alysa, especially about strategy and teamwork,” Joanne says. “I have passed along the joy in everything we do and how to build personal relationships with lifelong clients. And the hustle and grit that Charles and I have always had in surviving hard times is something she has personally witnessed and is now putting to good use.” 

Beyond new revenue streams, the younger Teichman brought operational structure to a business her parents built on relationships and intuition. “Alysa stepped in and put structure to our mom-and-pop way of doing things, installing an incredible team that now manages all aspects of the business,” Joanne says. 

“Family businesses are hard,” Alysa acknowledges, “but my parents are customer-obsessed in an industry with endless options. That sets you apart. They’re resilient, philanthropic, generous. I got a lot of that from being their daughter.” 

‘Boss baby’ 

When Olivia Gonzalez pivoted from her geology degree — originally focusing on oil and gas exploration — to gemology, her father, was delighted. At 26, she now manages the new Key West location of Florida retailer Blue Marlin Jewelry. 

After proving herself as a keyholder in the store’s home city of Islamorada, Olivia learned she’d been promoted. “One day in 2024, Dad said, ‘Surprise, we’re opening a store in Key West, and you’re running it,’” she recalls. 

Armando’s affectionate nickname for his daughter — “boss baby” — captures both the audacity of entrusting a major market expansion to a 26-year-old, and his confidence in her capabilities.  

He credits her background with helping to spark an interest in gems, while noting that her primary strength lies in customer relations. “She has an uncanny way of dealing with people that puts a huge smile on their face,” he says. “She’s very genuine.” 

Also significant for the business’s future are her strong merchandising instincts. “Everything she’s chosen so far that I never would have chosen has worked out very well,” her father reports.  

The one notable exception? Their ongoing disagreement about the color pink and heart-shaped jewelry, which Olivia loves. “Other than that, I think I’m getting on his wavelength now,” she says. 

Her approach to inventory management is comprehensive: She regularly rotates displays to keep presentations fresh, and she’s developing custom engagement-ring design as a specialty. 

The Key West location presents distinct challenges common to resort markets. Competitors frequently run promotions and discounts, while tourists tend to seek what Olivia calls “T-shirt-priced jewelry,” which is inconsistent with fine-jewelry positioning and Blue Marlin’s commitment to American Gem Society (AGS) ethics. She would like to introduce a quality silver line to meet tourists’ expectations without compromising the store’s reputation. “It’s been a gamble for sure, growing into our spot in Key West, but locals are finding us,” she says. 

Main image: Harris and Geri Botnick with Molli Botnick Schiffer (center). (Worthmore Jewelers)