When the G.H. Wilke & Co. Jewellers’ building on Las Tunas Drive in San Gabriel was sold, the owners looked for a location with a similar feel.
“The store had been in San Gabriel for 77 years, and before that it was in Illinois, where my grandfather started it in 1929,” said co-owner Tracy Wilke.
“When he moved to San Gabriel, he liked it because it was a bedroom community. Everybody knew everybody. We were looking for something similar, and we found it in Sierra Madre.At the end of August, G.H. Wilke & Co. Jewelers held a soft opening for its new location at 38 E. Montecito Avenue, Suite 12. A grand opening is planned for October, the same month the original jewellery store opened in Chicago in 1929.
“We had a very large building (on Las Tunas Drive),” said Tracy. “This is a smaller building, and we have to be leaner and more focused on what we’re doing. We can also focus on custom work for people and find out what they really want to do with their jewellery. I also love the big windows we have. It lets the light in and it’s so cheerful.
For over 93 years, G.H. Wilke & Co. Jewellers has been dedicated to helping customers with their jewellery needs, from engagement rings and bridal jewellery to custom designs.
After surviving the Wall Street Crash of 1929 (28 October) and the Great Depression, original founder and family member Gilbert H. Wilke, along with his wife and son Glenn Wilke, moved the original jewellery store from Arlington Heights in Cooke County, Illinois (25 miles from downtown Chicago) to the San Gabriel Valley. Today, the Wilke family continues to carry on the family legacy.
Tracy, who is married to Gilbert’s grandson Dave, co-owns the store with on-site goldsmith Dario Pirozko. They intend to maintain the community-minded, family-oriented, small-town feel that originally characterized Illinois in the late ’20s.
“Hard work, dedication and a commitment to unsurpassed quality and craftsmanship have been the hallmarks of our success for decades,” said Tracy. “We strive to celebrate milestones, create memories and start traditions through jewellery. Most importantly, we treat our clients like family and strive to tell their stories.Pirozko has been a goldsmith for more than 30 years, according to Tracy.
“He’s an exquisite craftsman,” she said. “He works in gold, platinum and silver.”The new shop will continue to specialise in custom, estate, modern, rare and specialty jewellery, and will offer its clientele services such as jewellery making, jewellery cleaning, engraving, repairs, restringing and appraisals.
“We do a little costume repair, but mostly fine metals,” she said. “He (Pirozko) can make, design or modify jewellery. We also have an estate and antique case. We’re still putting things out.”The workmanship on the older pieces is to die for. People were proud of their work”.
G.H. Wilke & Co. Jewellers also cleans and engraves jewellery and repairs watches.
“We have hand engravers and laser engravers,” she says. “We can help you decide the right format, where it’s going to be engraved and how long it’s going to last.
The Wilke family recognises that jewellery is very personal, a reflection of an individual’s taste and is often intertwined with special memories and meaning.
“We also understand the meaning behind jewellery,” she said. “We made a beautiful 40th anniversary gift for someone. She wanted something she could wear to work. We came up with a lovely combination, with a ruby centre and birthstones for her children and husband around it. It was delicate enough to wear to work. She loved it.
