Provident Jewelry’s Geoff Fear Enjoys Being Involved In The Best Times In People’s Lives
Owner of Provident Jewelry’s newest location in Wellington, Geoff Fear likes the business he is in because jewelry is part of the happiest times in people’s lives.
A northerner whose family wintered in South Florida, Fear started his first business at age 21. It became so successful that he could develop the hobby of collecting high-end watches.
“I had been coming here since I was a youngster and fell in love with the area,” Fear recalled. “Fifteen years ago, I moved down and began to indulge my hobby of watch collecting by hanging around Provident Jewelry in Jupiter.”
He was drawn to Wellington due to its equestrian amenities.
“I fell in love with Wellington and became a fixture at polo every Sunday, and further fell in love with the jewelry and high-end watch business. That’s because it’s such a positive, happy business,” Fear said. “The clients are happy, the people in the business are happy. Jewelry is part of the positive moments in people’s lives.”
Twelve years ago, Fear began learning the ins and outs of the business. “I came into Provident Jewelry in Jupiter as a vice president of sales,” he explained.
After doing an exceptional job in that role, he was offered the opportunity to buy into the company as a partner.
Provident Jewelry has a different way of doing business than many traditional jewelers, Fear explained. It is a young company in the industry, being around 27 years, with an excellent reputation for high integrity and honest value.
“We are estate jewelers, so we buy and sell the same things to the same people, so we have to play our cards face-up. Our margins are much thinner. We often sell the same jewelry as competitors for 40 to 50 percent of their prices,” Fear said.
As the company often takes back things that they have sold before for upgrades, estates or for whatever reason people might want to sell them, the markup is minimal compared to other firms.
“At the same time, we provide the ultra-high-end experience that goes with the purchase of such one-of-a-kind pieces of estate jewelry and the finest wrist watches in the world from some of the most unique boutique brands and independent watchmakers,” Fear said. “We feature luxurious surroundings, with a full bar and a wine room.”
The multi-million dollars invested in the new Wellington location provides a venue expected by high-end jewelry customers. The store even hosts events that showcase its elaborate setting.
In addition to the environment and dedication to a quality experience, another feature that sets Provident Jewelry’s seven stores apart is the expert in-house jewelers equipped with the latest technology available, including laser welders.
“We don’t send anything out. We do 100 percent of our jewelry and watch repair ourselves, in house, with technology such as laser welding, which enables our experts to use a welder to solder gold or silver together,” Fear said. “We can now actually use it to punch holes or to move stuff around. It is a very complex, expensive piece of equipment, so we can do a lot of things that traditional jewelers can’t do by hand with a torch.”
Every Provident Jewelry store has a GIA-certified graduate gemologist and appraisers on staff, and they offer free polishing and a lifetime warranty on every piece. They also strive to develop a personal relationship with customers.
Fear’s dedication to customer satisfaction and fair dealings, community involvement and charity work have provided Provident Jewelry with a stellar reputation. It’s a reputation that has helped the business do well. Well enough that he can indulge his hobby of zipping around town in his favorite bright blue Porsche racecar.
Provident Jewelry’s Wellington location is in the Town Square shopping plaza at 11924 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 1. For more info., call (561) 798-0777 or visit ww.providentjewelry.com/wellington.
