Today we’d like to introduce you to Manuk Torossian. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Talar and Manuk Torossian, both from Istanbul, Turkey, have built their family in the Atlanta area since 1999. Their oldest daughter, Tara, is a junior at the University of Georgia studying Public Relations and their youngest, Tais, is in the 4th grade at Sarah Smith Elementary. Between work and children, the Torossians are very involved in their community and churches, The Armenian Church of Atlanta and Peachtree Presbyterian. The weekends are filled with ballet, playdates and Girl Scouts and when they are able to sneak away, they love to visit Tara in Athens. With their stores open 6 days a week, they certainly don’t have a lot of free time to waste. As a Buckhead family, the Torossians decided to open a second location for their jewelry store, Luxor Fine Jewelry, in the Chastain Square Shopping Plaza this winter. Their original store is located in the AmericasMart in downtown Atlanta, where they have been in business for over 20 years.
Manuk started his journey as a diamond setter learning skills in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. At age 17, he moved to New York City, became a master in jewelry, was certified as a GIA Gemologist and worked with many high-profile designers. In 1997, he flew home for Christmas to visit his family and a chance meeting with Talar sealed their fate. He instantly knew she was the one for him and extended his stay for a week to spend more time with her. Manuk returned to Instanbul three months later with a custom engagement ring he specially created for her and luckily, she said yes! After a whirlwind engagement and wedding with 11 priests, bishops and archbishops and a full choir at their Armenian Cathedral, the two were wed and settled in New York as a couple. After two years, they decided to move to Atlanta where Manuk brought the first invisible cutting machine. As an innovator in the jewelry business, Manuk was able to do everything under one roof, which wasn’t the norm at the time. He was able to cast metals, set diamonds and stones, manufacture settings and polish his pieces. One person can actually do it all!
While Manuk grew the business, he needed Talar to come in and manage the store. With a background in hotel management, this was easy for Talar. She stepped in and took GIA courses to further her knowledge of the jewelry industry. With Talar’s genuine personality and Manuk’s beautiful craftsmanship, this winning combination has clients wanting more. To add to their attractive offerings, Luxor Fine Jewelry is a wholesale business, offering all pieces made in the USA.
Custom designed jewelry is Luxor’s specialty but they also offer a variety of designer pieces and have pre-made items in their store for clients. Watch and jewelry repair, appraisals and more are available at either location. Their goal is to not only provide you with exceptional jewelry pieces but to also build lasting relationships. When you shop at Luxor, you are treated like family! Please come see Talar and Manuk in their new, Chastain location!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Because the jewelry industry is always changing, there are always obstacles to overcome and things to learn. Technology has been a big piece, where everything used to be done by hand, now everything is all about using new technology and my job is to learn the technology. Additionally, a challenge or struggle has been to adjust from being a bench worker to working in retail. I never used to work with customers, just produce the custom piece. However, when I decided to blend the two, I took classes to help with my communication skills so it became easier to understand what my clients wanted. For me, customer service is my number one priority and it’s the highlight of my career. I’ve learned that if you’re patient and you work hard, God will bring you many blessings.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a jeweler. I specialize in custom, high-quality designed jewelry. Everything I do is in-house and I don’t send my orders anywhere else, which is very rare in this industry. I am proud to know that I stand behind all of my work and my clients have been with me for years. Being honest and fair as well as producing the highest quality, custom jewelry is what sets me apart from others.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
I would say never give up and be open to learn new things. In every industry, things are constantly changing and you always need to work on improving yourself. I wish I believed in myself more in the beginning but now I know that I have been successful because of my perseverance.
Contact Info:
- Email: luxorfine@yahoo.com
- Website: www.luxorfine.com
- Instagram: luxorfine
- Facebook: luxorfinejewelry
Image Credits:
Interior photo of store: Jstudio Design
