March 20, 2017

Meet Harry Markarian of Gold ‘N I Jewelers in Woodland Hills

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Harry Markarian.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Gold ‘N I Jewelers is family-owned and operated, we first opened our doors in 1984 by the current owner’s father. From day one, our master craftsmen have been working diligently on-site to provide our clients with the best possible service they have received. What makes us happy the most is our client’s happiness. We provide up-to-date technology and over 50 years of knowledge in the industry, From gold buying to repairing jewelry on site while you wait and watch, or creating custom pieces just for you, Gold ‘N I is your jeweler. As a child I had a passion for learning and would spend time after school day in and day out with my father at our family store. At the age of nine, I began to play with the tools of which were the foundation to my art. I would sweep floors, start to arrange gold dust, ask questions through curiosity and most importantly, watch and absorb the master at work. By the age of 13, my father was amazed that I was already soldering, sizing, and creating designs. Since then I have been running the family business and have kept everything we do in-house just like he did. My father is a master craftsmen with more than 50 years of experience, so he was able to teach me everything he knew about the jewelry industry. Not only did he show me creation, design, and repair, but he taught me quality workmanship, the importance of customer service, and to have a sense of humor when things go bad, Thirty-three years ago my father started out with a very small jewelry repair shop that was 8×10 which blossomed into a 1,000 square foot jewelry store. My family inspires me everyday and I’m so grateful and proud of each one them. I absolutely love what I do, especially keeping my father’s legacy alive and thriving. We have proudly been on Ventura Blvd. for the past thirty-three years and in this current location for twenty-three years. Making our clients happy and doing an exceptional job is Gold ‘N I Jewelers top priority and something our team cherishes deeply.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Just like any other business we have had our ups and downs throughout the years. The best part of life is feeling the bad in order to appreciate the good. I’m blessed to have such a tight knit where we are always there for one another.

Please tell us about Gold ‘N I Jewelers.
Gold ‘N I is a multifaceted jewelry store. The beauty about our store is that we do onsite jewelry repair while you wait and watch. We specialize in custom designing, provide a large variety of wedding rings, engagement rings, and fashion jewelry, as well as buy gold, diamonds and watches, Some of the proudest achievements have been to win two service awards from Tumbtack and Angies List for the past 3 years and create beautiful one of a kind pieces for some familiar faces. We got our Thumbtack Top Pro award back in 2015 and continued to win Top Pro for ’16 and ’17. It was a wonderful achievement because only 5% of the country gets a chance to receive this award. We do a lot of custom work for our clients. Anything you can image we can create. It’s such a beautiful feeling to make a vision or a drawing come to life. I think what’s sets us apart from others is the fact we take a lot of pride in providing every aspect of your experience here with us special and joyful. The quality of workmanship and our customer service is top priority for us. We will never let a piece go by us that doesn’t meet our standards. After all, a piece of jewelry can be sentimental, meaningful, and special to every person.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I have so many favorite memories!! Personally I think I had a wonderful childhood. Having such hardworking parent that came from another country in hopes of reaching the American Dream was a blessing for us kids in the family. They provided us with all they could even when times were tough. Some of my most favorite and treasured memories were being so close with my father learning and absorbing by his side. The feeling is magical and still get that feeling today as a grown man when I have him next to me when I need to ask for his advice. He always has new tricks up his sleeve that amaze me. A great memory I have in the store is being with my grandpa and my family under the same roof. My grandfather taught me how to polish my first ring. All the children in my family were attached to our grandparents and a lot of memories of my childhood are ties with my cousins grandparents, aunt and uncle, and of course my parents. Truly, I think the best memory by far is the day my sister was born.

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