By Dee Longfellow
The next generation of jewelers
Standing in front of the old neon sign that hung from the store’s previous location are the four sons of Kurt Hill, the original owner of Cottage Hill Diamonds. Pictured are (from left, with their “job titles”): Kyle, Word Specialist (say it with jewelry), Drew, Trouble Specialist (getting women in and men out of it!), Collin, Hard Rock Specialist (rocks and gems that is!), and Jordan Hill, whose business card simply says: “Less mass, more appeal.” Each has taken a separate role in managing the business from bookkeeping, buying, managing inventory, appraisals, repairs—and they all seem to get along!
Many family businesses, while once successful, often find it hard to keep the business together when passing it along to the next generation.
Oftentimes, there are personalities that clash, which can make an uncomfortable situation, leading to an unsuccessful company that often fails.
That certainly is not the case with Cottage Hill Diamonds at 125 N. York Road in the heart of City Centre, owned by Kurt Hill. Now in semi-retirement, Kurt has entrusted his legacy to his four sons: Jordan, Andrew, Collin and Kyle.
“He still likes to keep his hand in things,” said Jordan Hill of his father. “But much of the time, he spends traveling and he spends winter in Florida.”
Jordan says he and his three brothers not only get along, but he considers working together in a family business to be one of his favorite parts of the job.
“We each have our areas to take care of,” Jordan said. “I handle the bookkeeping and manage the inventory. I’m also the buyer. My dad stays involved with that as well, because he began in the business as a diamond broker. That’s really where his passion lies.”
Andrew handles sales and trains the staff. Collin heads up appraisals, the repair side of the business and custom-made jewelry pieces. Kyle does some bench jewelry work as well as repairs, and he works the sales floor. There is also the store manager, Joe Cuomo, no relation to the Hills.
As the manager of the inventory, Jordan attends big jewelry trade shows every year to seek out new merchandise to carry in the store. There’s a big show in Las Vegas every year that he never misses. There is also one in Hong Kong, where he has never gone, but hopes to someday.
Cottage Hill Diamonds is part of a coalition of 150 jewelry stores, which gives them more buying power.
Success following COVID-19
Like most businesses, Cottage Hill had to close during the pandemic, but only for a few months. In March of 2020, things were getting bad; then at the end of April, they sadly announced that the store would have to close for a while. They were only closed from May until mid-July, about 2½ months. Luckily when COVID got under control, the business boomed.
“As soon as we were able, we called everyone back to work and, because we got so busy, we even added a couple of staff,” Jordan said.
“We had some very good business from the new high-rise buildings on Addison Road, we’ve gotten several new clients from those buildings. The customers are younger, more upscale people, many who have lived in [downtown Chicago], who appreciate real jewelry and seem to have the money to spend.
“I think a lot of people were unable to do things like travel during the pandemic, so the money they may have set aside for travel, they decided to spend on some nice jewelry. It’s a nice way to splurge on something special, if you can’t take a nice vacation.”
The hockey angle
Kurt Hill didn’t just raise four boys—he raised four life-long hockey fans, and even coached them in their younger years. Andrew and Collin still play to this day.
The store used to have a “Men’s Night In,” usually before the Christmas holiday, which invited men to watch a hockey game, eat brats, drink beer, play games for prizes and shop for their special lady.
“Those events didn’t go over very well,” Jordan said. “Even with a hockey game and all that, guys just didn’t feel comfortable hanging out in a jewelry store. It’s just ‘not their scene.’ ”
Ladies Nights are still taking place, and there is an event scheduled that will feature a very special prize.
“We have a 11.11 carat lab-created diamond that we plan to give away on 11/11 [Nov. 11]. It’s a $15,000 stone. We will, of course, work with the winner to set it in a ring or a pendant, whatever she chooses,” Jordan said.
Mining vs. lab-created
This opened a conversation about natural diamonds from mines vs. lab-created diamonds. Is there really a difference?
“There is virtually no way to tell the difference, even with a jeweler’s [eye piece],” Jordan said. “Chemically they are the same, but lab-created stones have no nitrogen in them; that’s what gives a diamond a yellowish hue. They are a more pure white, which is what most people want in a diamond.”
There was a time when diamond mines were surrounded by land mines that were often stepped on by innocent children, leaving them without one or more of their limbs. It was a fight championed by the late Princess Diana prior to her untimely death. Jordan said it’s greatly improved since those days.
“There are better ways of mining today. Mining is a dangerous job, no matter what you’re mining for, but the equipment is much safer today, people are getting proper training, allowing them to make a living in the mines. The mining industry is important, because it provides jobs.”
As for the fashion trends, we’re back in the 1980s, according to Cottage Hill Diamonds.
“Yes, the ‘80s are back,” he said. “Yellow gold is back in style, rather than silver or platinum. We have big gold hoops and we can hardly keep them in stock. And the stones are trending back to the ‘80s as well. We’re seeing a lot of malachite, which is a dark green stone, and a lot of black onyx. Besides that, people are always interested in the diamond tennis bracelets and diamond stud [earrings].”
Overall, the store loves being a part of downtown Elmhurst and enjoys the various programs and events that City Centre offers to draw customers to the area. Stop in at 125 N. York next time you’re downtown and check out the glittering showcases as well as the warm, friendly atmosphere at Cottage Hill Diamonds.
And keep a watch out for that 11/11 giveaway.
