Park Jewelers
Demetre Tsirigotis grew up in the jewelry business. He learned at the knee of his father, Tony, owner of Park Jewelers in Lake Mary, and he officially began his career over nine years ago. Demetre has a literal lifetime of experience in the realm of fine jewelry, but his best and most important lessons have come in just the last year. Why?... He got engaged in April of ‘22, and that meant Demetre suddenly found himself on the customer’s side of the jewelry case.
“I’ve helped hundreds of clients pick out the perfect engagement ring, but all of a sudden, when I was choosing a ring for my own fiancée,” Demetre says with a grin and a shake of his head, “It made me appreciate the process in a whole new way.”
And the real-life lessons came quickly.
Demetre’s first order of business was to select the diamond that would anchor fiancée Zoey’s stunning engagement ring. Being in the business, he had access to – quite literally – the finest stones in the world, but Demetre also had a budget, and that meant he sought not just the best diamond, but the best diamond for the money.
“I used the same advice we give our clients here at Park Jewelers,” says Demetre, who will exchange vows with Zoey in November. “Working within our clients’ budgets is a top priority, and that requires smart decisions about the 4Cs – Cut, Clarity, Color, and Carat weight.”
Many couples come into Park Jewelers knowing nothing about diamonds, and it’s the staff’s job to educate them about the different factors – including those 4Cs – to consider when purchasing a diamond. The team listens to what is most important, helps each client stay within their budget, and uses its expertise to hand-pick that perfect diamond for each customer.
That’s exactly how Demetre picked Zoey’s diamond.
“I had certain things that were a must have for us,” he says. “Just like my customers, I had a budget to consider, as well. And, of course, I still had to buy the setting!”
Speaking of the setting, Demetre had specific ideas in mind for it, too.
“Many couples come in together to narrow down the engagement ring design,” says Demetre. “I decided I wanted to design it on my own and make a custom ring. One thing I try to remind my customers is to think ahead if they want their wedding band to match and have it sit flush up against the engagement ring. It’s important to consider that when picking out the engagement ring, whether you pick from our selection or decide to go the custom route.”
When the time came to finalize the wedding band, Zoey did have input. She decided to go with an eternity band which has diamonds going all the way around. That way, when the ring turns on her finger, the diamonds are always visible. Just like he does for his own customers, Demetre used Computer-Aided Design (CAD) to create the wedding band so it matched perfectly with the engagement ring.
“It’s a fun process and takes approximately four-to-six weeks once the design is approved by the client,” Demetre explains.
Demetre even chose radiant-cut diamonds to surround the wedding band to match the center stone in Zoey’s engagement ring.
Dad Tony and his wife Sylvie are watching with pride as Demetre experiences the engagement and wedding-planning process firsthand. Not only do they relish seeing a loved one enjoy one of life’s best moments, but it gives them confidence that Park Jewelers – and its clients – are in good hands for generations more to come.
“He’s the same age as the young men and women who come to us for engagement rings and wedding bands,” Tony says of Demetre. “He speaks with such confidence now about the many different options today’s couples have. He’s a real partner in their wedding process – not just the jewelry, but in all of it. When those couples have children, I hope Demetre can help them, too, and even their children’s children.”
“It’s so great to watch Demetre connecting with his clients over his own wedding,” adds Sylvie. “Our clients really connect with Demetre when he shares in the excitement of the whole process. It’s so nice to see his face light up when he talks about it.”