Askew Jewelers Owner Dave Askew Is Our St. Cloud FL Business Spotlight

Askew Jewelers Owner Dave Askew is The Focus Of OurBusiness Spotlight In Saint Cloud FL

Jeanine Corcoran broker of Corcoran Connect interviews DaveAskew in this month’s episode. Welcome to the 40th episode ofDiscover St. Cloud Florida. Kristin asked Jeanine which localbusiness owner in Saint Cloud FL she spoke with for thismonth’s featured business spotlight and Jeanine said it isDave Askew owner of Askew Jewelers.

Jeanine started by asking Dave how long he has lived in SaintCloud and how long has Askew Jewelers been in business. Dave replied that hemoved to Florida in 1988 and then to Saint Cloud in 2005. He saidhe opened the jewelry store in March 2009.

Video Podcast OfJeanine’s Interview With Dave Askew Of AskewJewelers

Jeanine then followed up and asked Dave how he got started inthe jewelry business. Dave said he was running the Indianapolis Zooas Director of Park Operations. He was there on a two-year contractand had another child and to him, family is more important, so hebecame a Mr. Mom. He raised his 3 kids with his wife.

Dave said his wife’s family owns a jewelry store calledSettle Jewelry in Bloomington Indiana. He said he started to pokearound in their store and the next thing you know he found himselfpolishing rings and sizing rings and learning to do various thingsin the store.

Served As Apprentice To A Bench Jeweler For 3Years

Jeanine said so you become an apprentice. Dave replied that hedid become an apprentice for 3 years under a woman named JoanHowell who was a bench jeweler which was very rare. He learned alot from working with her in the jewelry business.

Jeanine asked Dave to explain the Askew Jewelry special process.Dave said they are a jewelry store, and they sell a lot of jewelry.They have premade stuff, and they also make custom jewelry. Thepeople who purchase custom jewelry don’t really understand sothat’s why he was explaining the process to Jeanine.

Dave gave an example of the custom process, somebody brings in astone and they want something special to be made with it. Dave saida person brought in a stone, it was their grandmother’s andthey wanted a cross made with it. He designed the look on thecomputer, and we put a bunch of diamonds with it once the customerapproves that look Dave prints a wax example of the piece.

He then covered the process of how the piece is made startingwith the wax and going through the heating process and finally withthe injection of gold, silver, platinum, or whatever the customerhad chosen. It is quite amazing.

Askew Jewelers Is Known For Their Custom Jewelry DesignWork

Jeanine stated that there aren’t many jewelers like AskewJewelers left, are there? Dave agreed and that is what he loves todo make custom jewelry by hand. Technology has made it much moreefficient. Dave said they have a great team at his store includinghis wife who joined him there two years ago after retiring as aschoolteacher for 27 years.

Jeanine then asked Dave what his best-selling product is in thestore. Dave answered that most people come here with somethingunique that they want to be set. You can’t buy it from astore or a catalog, so they go to Dave to have it made custom.

Jeanine asked Dave, aside from recommending his store, what isthe one thing someone must do when they come to Saint CloudFlorida? Dave said you must come to downtown Saint Cloud. He saidthe downtown area has unique shops that you won’t findanywhere else. Dave said he doesn’t leave St. Cloud muchbecause he finds what he needs right here.

We hope you enjoyed Jeanine interviewing Askew Jewelers ownerDave Askew as our featured St. Cloud FL Business Spotlight thismonth. This will continue to be a monthly focus for local businessowners in Saint Cloud Florida on our podcast.