Bill Martin: Impress Jewelry Creations

A woman wearing a diamond necklace doesn’t need much more adornment. Think of Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly or Julia Roberts. 

The same holds true for a jewelry boutique. When the main attraction is sparkle and glitter of gold, precious gems and diamonds, the surroundings require neutrality, simplicity and perfect lighting. 

That’s what Stacy and Bill Martin envisioned for Impress Jewelry Creations, a new jewelry store in City Plaza South in Granger. After working nearly two decades with Van Horne Jewelers, the couple opted for a clean space that would serve as a canvas to accent the colors in the jewelry and the metals. “We want the attention to be on the pieces in the case,” says Bill Martin. 

Open since November, the new boutique specializes in creating personalized pieces for customers who want to give a gift unlike anything else. One customer, for example, had them repurpose a large family opal in a necklace with a complementary jewel on top of it that could rotate from one color to another. The setting was carefully designed to accommodate the age and fragility of the opal. 

“We want to encapsulate the clients’ memories in a piece of jewelry,” Martin adds. “Whether it is $300 or $300,000, it is an emotional moment.”

To accomplish these goals, the Martins hired several designers and artisans they had worked with previously to offer the level of expertise and customer service required to exceed their clients’ desires and expectations. One of those experts is Dan Leonhardt, designer and goldsmith, who has served as Martin’s mentor over the years and was the reason Martin moved to Indiana from Massachusetts.

The 2,200 square-foot space was completely gutted to be transformed into a serene environment, with neutral gray walls, lots of natural light, and glass and more glass. This space is more reminiscent of an urban boutique found in Brooklyn or Chicago. A customer entering the business can see all the way to the back of the store, emphasizing openness and transparency. The LED lighting is not only environmentally friendly and energy efficient, but complements the colors and tones of the jewelry. 

A third of the space is devoted to the design studio, where personalized pieces are created and repairs and cleanings are accomplished to make sure a client’s piece of jewelry is always at its best. The rest is used to display works of jewelry provided by the 40 different national and international brand partners Impress works with on a daily basis. Seventy percent of whom create and build their jewelry in the United States. 

Martin says it is fun to be a part of the process of helping people to give special gifts to their loved ones. And their new space allows them to do that. “We want to hit it out of the park every time we come up to bat for our clients and customers.” And if the first seven months of business is any indication- Impress Jewelry Creations and their team are doing just that.

What three things does Bill have to have in any space he occupies? 

Plenty of light to accentuate the sparkle, proper flow to allow customers to peruse these beautiful jewelry pieces from gemstones to watches to estate pieces, and the people who make up the team that allows them to create “lifelong dream pieces.”