A rock hound and stone collector from an early age, Erica decided to make her passion her profession upon graduation from University of Wisconsin at Parkside.
She apprenticed under master goldsmith Arland Dobbs and started her gemological training with the Gemological Institute of America. In 1997 she started her career at Goodstone Jewelers in the Gurnee Mills mall. In 1999 she left to become the goldsmith at Ventura Fine Jewelers in Kenosha. She left Ventura’s in 2001 and started her own business in April 2002, moved to current location in 2005, and opened her second location at Prime Outlets in August, 2009.
DEAR ABBY
Dear Abby,
My husband is not happy with my mood swings. The other day, he bought me a mood ring so he could monitor my moods. When I’m in a good mood it turns green. When I’m in a bad mood it leaves a big red mark on his forehead. Maybe next time he’ll buy me a diamond from Erica's.
Sincerely,
Unhappy in Wisconsin
GIA Graduate Gemologist (GG) 2000
2006 – store approved for membership in the American Gem Society (only 5% of jewelry stores accepted)
2006 – Registered Jeweler ( RJ - AGS)
2007 – Certified Gemologist (CG - AGS)
2009 – Certified Gemologist Appraiser (CGA – AGS)
(the highest certification awarded by the American Gem Society)
***Erica is one of only three jewelers in the state of Wisconsin to have obtained the CGA title in addition to being a master goldsmith.
This past Saturday, November 14th my boyfriend and I set out to buy an engagement ring. We went to the mall and looked at several “chain” stores plus a few stores at other locations. This joyous time turned out to be daunting and frustrating. The sales people at these stores treated us like we were buying a used car; they told us what we wanted to buy instead of the other way around plus they were getting agitated when we were uncertain about purchasing my engagement ring. After several hours, I was getting tired, hungry and thirsty; we were headed to Kenosha and just happened to see the sign for your store, we decided to go in and take a look. I immediately felt comfortable with your associate; she was kind, calm, understanding and listened! We found an engagement ring that we are so happy with! It is the perfect, “dream” ring and EXACTLY what I was looking for. As soon as I put it on, I immediately knew it was the one.
So thank you from the bottom my heart for making our ring buying experience perfect. I love my ring and cannot stop looking at it.. It fits my personality perfectly, I absolutely love it and we will be coming in to look at your wedding bands and/or have you design the band to go with my engagement ring. I am looking forward to visiting your store again.
Thank you so much!!
Lisa and Eric
"Erica and staff were so helpful and professional during the time we were shopping for wedding rings that we wanted to show them our appreciation by getting engaged in her store. Erica made our rings exactly the way we wanted and we absolutely love them. We are spreading the word to family and friends."
Shari and Rick
"My relationship with Erica’s began in early fall 2007 as I began the journey to find the perfect engagement ring. My intention was to take the love of my life to New York for New Years Eve and propose in Central Park at midnight in a horse drawn carriage. Erica and Steve worked with me on the ring and diamond selection. They were both extremely creative and understood what I wanted to achieve with the final ring. They helped me match the diamond to the unique setting it would be placed in. The color, size and brilliance needed to be just right in the setting. I can’t recall how many diamonds Steve had brought in for me to see in the setting, many visits were needed, but he was patient and continued to set them in the ring and listened to me say “that not it” so many times. And then he heard me say, “That’s the one!” I was never rushed or pushed to pick one, but rather, was helped in being educated in what the perfect stone would need to be. When the special night finally arrived, midnight in Central Park, I dropped to one knee, asked the love of my life if we could share our lives together, she said YES!, and when I placed that ring on here finger, it looked magnificent. It was a moment that I will never forget. And I will never be able to thanks Erica and Steven enough for their assistance in bringing all of that together. They helped bring a dream come true."
Thomas
Thank you very much for the appraisals you did for me and my sister-in-law. Having never been to a jeweler's, I was a bit nervous about getting an appraisal done, but Erica immediately put me at ease with her relaxed yet professional demeanor. I appreciated the explanations she gave as she worked - I now know my ring better than I did before. The appraisal process was comfortable and not the least bit intimidating, and it was clear that Erica knew what she was doing. Thank you for making that experience positive. My sister-in-law and I now have detailed appraisals in beautiful, sturdy booklets, as well as printed and digital pictures of our rings. I'm glad that I found you, and I will certainly recommend Erica to anyone who could use her expertise.
