Business Spotlight

C.C. Conrad Jewelers: A SHOREWOOD GEM

BY JENNIFER ANDERSON | PHOTO BY PATRICK MANNING

The C.C. Conrad Jewelers interior, renovated by owners Emilia and Vladimir Beker.

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

Shorewood’s C.C. Conrad Jewelers is a bit of a holdover from another era: All the workmanship is done in house, and the owners, siblings Vladimir and Emilia Beker, have built their reputation for customer service by taking the time to get to know their clientele. Everyone who enters their charming showroom gets the same level of care, whether they’re dropping off a necklace in need of a chain fix or creating a modern ring from the stones in Grandma’s brooch.

The store is truly a one-stop bauble shop. The Bekers and their in-house goldsmith do just about anything: appraise jewelry for insurance, purchase estate sale jewelry, design original engagement rings and other jewelry, repair broken or lose items, and sell distinctive rings, bracelets, necklaces and watches. Emilia has a gift for creating custom designs to reflect the owner’s personal style, and Vladimir, when not helping his sister in the shop or at their wholesale business in Chicago, is often globetrotting to seek out the best diamonds.

The siblings left Communist Russia to come to the United States during the Cold War era, frustrated by the constraints of communism and, after the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion, concerned for their children’s health. A great uncle lived in Milwaukee, so they settled here. Emelia took a third-shift job at the Koss Stereophones factory, and Vladimir worked at a junkyard and delivered pizzas.

“We left behind everything in Russia,” says Vladimir, noting that even Emilia’s wedding band was confiscated by the government. The two have become U.S. citizens, and perhaps not surprisingly, Vladimir says they have “no nostalgia” for Russia — although Emilia still makes a mean borscht.

After several years of learning English by listening to audiobooks he checked out from the Shorewood Public Library, Vladimir traveled to New York to train in the jewelry business and Emilia took a job at C.C. Conrad Jewelers, a local fixture since 1978. In 1994, they bought the business from Conrad and renovated the store, keeping the name and the stately grey vault built into the back wall many generations before.

Today, couples who bought engagement rings from the Bekers years ago send their adult children in to buy their own rings, and the Bekers expect to remain in business in Shorewood for many years to come. They emphasize the importance of seeing and touching jewelry in person anddeveloping lasting relationships with local business owners.

The Bekers maintain a deep loyalty to Shorewood — their first home after leaving Russia behind — and to the friendly people who welcomed them.

“We came here because we wanted a better life for our children and our grandchildren, and the U.S. gave us that,” Vladimir says. “We love Shorewood, and we’ve seen a lot of changes for the good over the years. “ n