The M Jewelers Is Branching Out of NYC With Its First LA Store
It’s the second storefront for the popular nameplate jewelry brand.
Earlier this month, the New York City-headquartered brand opened the doors to its first retail store outside of the city, located in West Hollywood, California on Melrose Avenue.
“L.A. has been our second-biggest market for a few years now,” founder Mark Shami said. “We wanted to bring a piece of New York here and give our customers what we think is our best store experience yet.”
The M Jewelers’ first storefront was in New York City’s Diamond District for eight years, but in January 2022, it opened a more customer-friendly space downtown in the Nolita neighborhood.
The go-to brand for nameplates among millennial and Gen Z consumers mixes old school jewelry-making expertise with new school branding and marketing.
Shami was born into the jewelry business. His father operated a store in the Diamond District for more than 30 years.
“I spent a lot of my childhood and teenage years helping my father at his store on the weekends,” alongside his twin sister, he told National Jeweler.
He went on to work at the store full time, dreaming up his own company along the way.
“I built The M Jewelers on my laptop while working there. I learned a lot of the skills I still use to this day while working in the Diamond District.”
Shami’s father made nameplate necklace for decades.
“It was one of the first processes I learned and loved to make,” he said. “I would make them for a lot of friends.”
Nameplates have enjoyed moments of prominence as trends cycle in and out—think the “Carrie” necklace of the 1990s made famous on “Sex and The City,” or the style’s current ubiquity—but Shami insists the style is timeless.
“I look at them as heirlooms,” he said. “My twin sister has name jewelry that was passed down from my grandmother.”
Most of The M Jewelers’ products are crafted in sterling silver, with or without gold plating, but 14-karat gold pieces make up about 30 percent of the business.
Attainability is part of the company’s appeal, as are its partnerships.
Shami wears a diamond and 14-karat gold nameplate with his last name on it daily, plus a New York Yankees pendant that is part of a collaboration with Major League Baseball.
Other collaborations have included projects with Nike, Kith, and New York or Nowhere.
The brand’s DNA is quintessential New York, and even as it branches out, production will remain in New York City, with chains sourced from Italy.
“We’ve tried to preserve the process as much as possible. [Nameplates] take time and always will, but we’re always looking for ways to improve speed and quality, especially with a heavy-volume business.”
The M Jewelers West Hollywood store is open now.
The brand is looking even further afield with its next retail location, set to open in Tokyo in November.
The Latest
Starboard Luxury is bringing the Italian brand aboard The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s newest yacht.
The pendant, circa the late 1700s, likely was commissioned to remember a loved one who died young.
It features the brand’s products in the precious color, semi-precious color, pearl, diamond, gold, and sterling silver categories.
From protecting customer data to safeguarding inventory records, it's crucial to learn how to tackle cybersecurity challenges.
For her annual Halloween story, Associate Editor Lenore Fedow pairs fine jewelry with classic and contemporary Halloween costumes.
Sales fell 15 percent for the luxury conglomerate in the third quarter, led by a 26 percent drop in sales for flagship brand Gucci.
The education offerings include a diamond cutting demonstration, a session with JVC President Sara Yood, and a seminar on AI.
This fall, sharpen your skills in jewelry grading, quality control and diamond assessment.
The book features new styles and revived favorites.
Aimed at a generation that emphasizes self-care and mental health, “Worth the Wait” breaks new ground in the world of diamond advertising.
Editor Lauren McLemore immersed herself in New York Bridal Fashion Week to better understand the role fine jewelry plays on the big day.
The jeweler shared her change of heart on lab-grown diamonds and why she keeps them separate from natural diamonds in her business ventures.
They’re available through a retailer that sells luxury products inspired by the lifestyle of Batman’s billionaire civilian persona.
The watchmaker is selling 1,000 “Waterbury” watches for $1 each in celebration of its 170th anniversary.
Launched by De Beers in 2018, the program aims to develop a responsible sourcing model for the artisanal/small-scale diamond mining sector.
The new “Ouche” collection brings sculptural designs to the brand, while the expanded “Daystar” collection brings a rainbow of colors.
The auction house said the gemstone could fetch up to $5.5 million at next month’s sale.
From prioritizing the customer experience to optimizing inventory, columnist Emmanuel Raheb shares the keys to a successful holiday season.
Journalist Priya Raj plans to use the scholarship funds to further her media qualifications and amplify marginalized communities.
It marks the first championship win in the team’s 28-year history.
It will start with rough diamonds that are larger than 1.25 carats and later expand to rough diamonds that are above 1 carat.
The capsule collection is inspired by friendship and connection, with a nod to ‘80s fashion.
The New York socialite’s elegant, transformable piece from the 1960s is headed to auction later this month.
Texas jeweler Susan Eisen and NAJA’s Gail Brett Levine discuss how lab-grown diamonds have altered the landscape for jewelry appraisers.
On the verge of retirement, Kennedy recounts the most stressful stretch of his time at JSA and reveals what he’ll miss about the industry.
Signet Jewelers CEO Gina Drosos’ secrets to success are listening to her team and leaning on data to make decisions.
Part of the Welsh singer’s extensive jewelry collection, the bathtub-shaped Cartier watch went for nearly $72,000 at Sotheby’s Paris.