Rain or shine, this store sparkles
September 17, 2006 | 12:00am
Gemologist John Antonio Ortiga is one lucky guy – even on a rainy day, his world sparkles.
John, the third-generation Ortiga scion (after father Teddy and grandfather Tony) to take over the reins of the family’s jewelry business (under the flagship La Estrella del Norte), now manages the family’s watch and jewelry chain, Alexis.
"Alexis started in the 1980s in Glorietta. Now it has expanded to seven branches all over Metro Manila. We’re one of the few watch and jewelry stores in the country," says the 25-year-old John, who went to school at the Gemological Institute of America in the Diamond District, on 47th and Fifth Avenue, in New York. There, he underwent training for 1 1/2 years.
Was he pressured to follow in his father and grandfather’s footsteps, which have been on the glittering world of fine jewelry for the last 40 years?
John, the second of Teddy’s three sons, laughs and says, "At an early age siyempre wala pa namang hilig. But when I went to college, they asked me to step into the family business. To get the hang of it. To get the feel of it. So after graduating (from La Salle), I lived in New York for quite a time and then came back to help out."
As a gemologist and businessman, he has to adhere to the gold standard – literally and figuratively – set by his father and grandfather.
What sets Alexis apart as a jewelry store, says John, is that "we only sell 18-k gold jewelry."
Eighteen-karat gold, explains John, is the best kind of gold for jewelry because it is hard (24-k is too soft) and at the same time, valuable.
"Through the years, especially now, gold is very, very expensive. Gold prices have gone up tremendously from a price of around $380 per ounce, right now it’s $600 per ounce. It even went up to $680. But we have not shifted to lowering our gold standards. We could have shifted from 18 to 14-k to make it cheaper. But we did not, because we want to maintain the image that we are one of the few jewelry stores that offer only basically 18-k gold jewelry."
John tells us that 18-k is 75 percent gold, 25 percent alloy. In 14-k, it’s 50 percent gold, 50 percent alloy. In 10-k, 40 percent gold, 60 percent alloy. Alloy is "worthless."
Alexis’ diamonds and precious stones are of medium to high-end quality, says John.
"Consequently, if you want to resell the merchandise that you’ve bought from us, most of the time it’s easier and you get a higher- end price," adds John’s father Teddy, who joins our interview. John describes Alexis’ jewelry line as classic and timeless.
"We go for simple designs, we don’t want to go for extravagant, big items, chunky items," points out John, who designed Alexis’ new corporate logo.
Having observed the business from his father and grandfather’s lap, so to speak, John has come to the conclusion that though most Filipinos would like to pass on jewelry to the next generation, it’s a different mindset altogether for watches.
"They don’t really want to buy a very, very expensive piece in a country with so many problems. And people now are very, very practical. They buy something that they can use, is fashionable, they use for a certain period of time and then they want to change," says John, who reveals that all three in-house designers of La Estrella are all in their twenties and are very creative.
John says proudly that Alexis carries a wide and interesting range of watches, and offer servicing right at the store, with some technicians undergoing training abroad.
"So people who come to us know that they’re buying timepieces that are fashionable and affordable," says John. Exactly what does he mean by "affordable?"
"Between P1,000 to P10,000," he smiles. But the store does carry pricier brands, too.
It is no surprise that this young gemologist and businessman would like to continue to keep the loyalty of their target market – the yuppies. It was the same market that his father Teddy nurtured when Alexis started at the Glorietta.
"We start our relationship with clients when they buy a pair of wedding bands when they get married," explains Teddy. "Then the husband will buy something for the wife for an anniversary and a birthday. Then after the birthday, maybe another piece of jewelry, a ring or bracelet. It goes on and on. Eventually, it becomes a partnership between the couple and us. We also get some of the higher-end clients. But you know, the higher-end clients, there’s no loyalty. But the middle-income group, the practical people, they tend to be loyal to a particular store, one that gives them value for money."
John confirms that in the Philippines, it’s the women who really spend on jewelry and that, "Diamonds really catch their attention." "While the men naman, cars. Watches are also another outlet for their excess savings," he points out.
Although it is easier to sell jewelry to women, women also put you through the wringer, laughs Teddy.
Men hardly ever "make tawad," especially if they’re buying jewelry for someone other than their wife!
Still, whether to women or to men, selling jewelry nowadays is no piece of cake.
"It’s challenging nowadays. It’s not always a given. Not like 10 or 15 years ago. Now, you really have to work hard for something in order to achieve it."
Aside from keeping abreast of the latest designs and merchandise, the Ortigas annually go to jewelry fairs to check out the new trends.
They reveal to STAR readers some of their trade secrets: The best sources of diamonds are Antwerp in Belgium, New York, India and Israel. South Africa is the best source for diamonds-in-the-rough.
The biggest rock Teddy has ever sold was an eight-carat D-color diamond, which means it’s the whitest you could find. He sold it in the ’90s.
Other than that, his lips are sealed, of course.
So rain or shine, father and son get up each morning to a bright new day. With hard work, the jewelry business will always bring a sparkle to their lives – and the lives of those who believe in their business.
John, the third-generation Ortiga scion (after father Teddy and grandfather Tony) to take over the reins of the family’s jewelry business (under the flagship La Estrella del Norte), now manages the family’s watch and jewelry chain, Alexis.
"Alexis started in the 1980s in Glorietta. Now it has expanded to seven branches all over Metro Manila. We’re one of the few watch and jewelry stores in the country," says the 25-year-old John, who went to school at the Gemological Institute of America in the Diamond District, on 47th and Fifth Avenue, in New York. There, he underwent training for 1 1/2 years.
Was he pressured to follow in his father and grandfather’s footsteps, which have been on the glittering world of fine jewelry for the last 40 years?
John, the second of Teddy’s three sons, laughs and says, "At an early age siyempre wala pa namang hilig. But when I went to college, they asked me to step into the family business. To get the hang of it. To get the feel of it. So after graduating (from La Salle), I lived in New York for quite a time and then came back to help out."
As a gemologist and businessman, he has to adhere to the gold standard – literally and figuratively – set by his father and grandfather.
What sets Alexis apart as a jewelry store, says John, is that "we only sell 18-k gold jewelry."
Eighteen-karat gold, explains John, is the best kind of gold for jewelry because it is hard (24-k is too soft) and at the same time, valuable.
"Through the years, especially now, gold is very, very expensive. Gold prices have gone up tremendously from a price of around $380 per ounce, right now it’s $600 per ounce. It even went up to $680. But we have not shifted to lowering our gold standards. We could have shifted from 18 to 14-k to make it cheaper. But we did not, because we want to maintain the image that we are one of the few jewelry stores that offer only basically 18-k gold jewelry."
John tells us that 18-k is 75 percent gold, 25 percent alloy. In 14-k, it’s 50 percent gold, 50 percent alloy. In 10-k, 40 percent gold, 60 percent alloy. Alloy is "worthless."
Alexis’ diamonds and precious stones are of medium to high-end quality, says John.
"Consequently, if you want to resell the merchandise that you’ve bought from us, most of the time it’s easier and you get a higher- end price," adds John’s father Teddy, who joins our interview. John describes Alexis’ jewelry line as classic and timeless.
"We go for simple designs, we don’t want to go for extravagant, big items, chunky items," points out John, who designed Alexis’ new corporate logo.
Having observed the business from his father and grandfather’s lap, so to speak, John has come to the conclusion that though most Filipinos would like to pass on jewelry to the next generation, it’s a different mindset altogether for watches.
"They don’t really want to buy a very, very expensive piece in a country with so many problems. And people now are very, very practical. They buy something that they can use, is fashionable, they use for a certain period of time and then they want to change," says John, who reveals that all three in-house designers of La Estrella are all in their twenties and are very creative.
John says proudly that Alexis carries a wide and interesting range of watches, and offer servicing right at the store, with some technicians undergoing training abroad.
"So people who come to us know that they’re buying timepieces that are fashionable and affordable," says John. Exactly what does he mean by "affordable?"
"Between P1,000 to P10,000," he smiles. But the store does carry pricier brands, too.
It is no surprise that this young gemologist and businessman would like to continue to keep the loyalty of their target market – the yuppies. It was the same market that his father Teddy nurtured when Alexis started at the Glorietta.
"We start our relationship with clients when they buy a pair of wedding bands when they get married," explains Teddy. "Then the husband will buy something for the wife for an anniversary and a birthday. Then after the birthday, maybe another piece of jewelry, a ring or bracelet. It goes on and on. Eventually, it becomes a partnership between the couple and us. We also get some of the higher-end clients. But you know, the higher-end clients, there’s no loyalty. But the middle-income group, the practical people, they tend to be loyal to a particular store, one that gives them value for money."
John confirms that in the Philippines, it’s the women who really spend on jewelry and that, "Diamonds really catch their attention." "While the men naman, cars. Watches are also another outlet for their excess savings," he points out.
Although it is easier to sell jewelry to women, women also put you through the wringer, laughs Teddy.
Men hardly ever "make tawad," especially if they’re buying jewelry for someone other than their wife!
Still, whether to women or to men, selling jewelry nowadays is no piece of cake.
"It’s challenging nowadays. It’s not always a given. Not like 10 or 15 years ago. Now, you really have to work hard for something in order to achieve it."
Aside from keeping abreast of the latest designs and merchandise, the Ortigas annually go to jewelry fairs to check out the new trends.
They reveal to STAR readers some of their trade secrets: The best sources of diamonds are Antwerp in Belgium, New York, India and Israel. South Africa is the best source for diamonds-in-the-rough.
The biggest rock Teddy has ever sold was an eight-carat D-color diamond, which means it’s the whitest you could find. He sold it in the ’90s.
Other than that, his lips are sealed, of course.
So rain or shine, father and son get up each morning to a bright new day. With hard work, the jewelry business will always bring a sparkle to their lives – and the lives of those who believe in their business.
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