1 in 2 Jewelers Surveyed Say They Require Masks In Their Stores. Here’s Why (And Why Not)

Yes: 48%

• Free masks for those not wearing them. No mask, no service. — Gordon Lawrie, Eidos, Santa Fe, NM
• We text in advance of the appointment saying that we will be wearing masks and will be happy to provide you with one to provide us all with respectful protection. — Stacey Horcher, J. Reiss, Lincolnwood, IL
• We provide the masks for free as well as gloves, wipes and sanitizer. There were very few outbreaks in our county of COVID-19, so some customers get mad and walk out when we ask them to please wear a mask. — Andrea Riso, Talisman Collection, El Dorado Hills, CA
• We have it posted on the door, and if they don’t have one, we provide it. We have had pushback from some MAGA-type men in their late 60s who said they would not shop until we were mask free. As we have staff in their 70s and 80s, we feel that it would be counterproductive to put them at risk just for a potential sale. — Rex Solomon, Houston Jewelry, Houston, TX

• We have two signs at the door. “For the safety of ourselves and our customers, we require that you wear a mask.” If they don’t have one, we give them one. — Mary Jo Chanski, Hannoush Jewelers, Rutland, VT
• Not open yet, but this will be requirement when we do by state order. — Jim Tuttle, Green Lake Jewelry Works, Seattle, WA
• It is highly recommended, but not mandatory. We do offer masks for those who don’t have one, but we don’t force the issue. Some people are highly opposed to wearing one for “political” reasons. I don’t understand their thought process. — Kirsten Reynolds, Windsor Gallery, Salisbury, NC
• Our state has put forth very strict requirements for retailers to open. We have signage throughout the store, on our Facebook page and website, and wear masks whenever dealing with our customers. Social distancing is nearly impossible for us. We have disposable masks available if they do not have one. The majority of our customers have been great, there remains a small percentage that are not. It’s challenging. — Andrew Russakoff, Russakoff Jewelers, Skowhegan, ME
• We have a sign on the front door politely requesting they wear one and have a table with complimentary masks at the entry. If a client opts not to wear one, we still service them as normal. — Sean Dunn, J.R. Dunn Jewelers, Lighthouse Point, FL
• Sign at the front door. Only one customer has refused and chose not to do business with us. — Teri Vogan, Vogan Gold & Silver Works, Colorado Springs, CO
• We operate by appointment now, and we let customers know ahead of time that we and they need to be masked. So far, no pushback. Actually, we also wear face shields. — Eve J. Alfille, Eve J. Alfille Gallery and Studio, Evanston, IL
• We have a sandwich board sign explaining the requirement for entry in the doorway that you literally have to walk around it to enter. We have found that most people do not read or actually ignore signs, so we had to make it too obvious. — Joe Caron, Caron’s Jewelry, Bristol, RI

No: 52%

• No, because I won’t promote the stupidity of this virus panic. — Peter Tims, White Mountain Jewelers, Show Low, AZ
• I did last week; now we have suspicious characters that think wearing a mask will keep them from being recognized. Totally optional at this point. If I don’t know them, they better take it off. — Pamela Rossi, PJ Rossi Jewelers, Lauderdale by the Sea, FL
• We mask up and do the right thing. I have seen a lot of backlash on social media from people about businesses that make customers wear face masks. People are boycotting businesses that enforce this. While I believe everyone should wear a face mask, I do not want to deal with people blasting us on social. I am trying to save my business; we have masks at the store if someone wants one. — Michael Kanoff, Michael’s Jewelers, Yardley, PA
• Not my job to enforce government special rules. — Craig C. Curtis, Belfast Jewelry, Belfast, ME
• On Kauai, we have NO COVID-19 infection and no visitors are allowed on island without having to quarantine for 14 days after arrival. — Jim Saylor, Jim Saylor Jewelers, Kapaa, HI
• When we opened last week, we asked clients to wear masks. If they did not have one, we would provide one; if they were uncomfortable wearing one, we would continue our curbside service. Two out of 10 wore their masks. Seven out of 10 needed a mask, and one out of 10 said “The hell with this!” Decided to drop the requirement. There is too much stress right now to draw a line in the sand over this. I will continue to wear my mask. If clients wear their mask, I am giving a secret little discount; if they do not, a secret little charge. $5 either way they won’t notice, but it will make me feel better. — Jo Goralski, The Jewelry Mechanic, Oconomowoc, WI
• We don’t require it. As a family with medical professionals on the frontlines, we know how much the generic face mask actually helps and doesn’t help. We allow this to be an option for the customer. If a customer enters wearing one, we have ours ready to put on to make them more comfortable. — Morgan Bartel, Susann’s Custom Jewelers, Corpus Christi, TX
• Only if the client is adamant about cooties. — Brenda Newman, The Jewelry Source, El Segundo, CA
• We have a “sticker system” that identifies how the client wants to be treated when they arrive. — Stephenie Bjorkman, Sami Fine Jewelry, Fountain Hills, AZ
• We feel that our customers have the right to choose if they want to wear a mask or not. They don’t need us to parent them. — Robin Laughlin, Wiford Jeweler, Sidney, OH
• Most customers are uncomfortable wearing them. — Eileen Eichhorn, Eichhorn Jewelry, Decatur, IN
• We decided it is their choice. We wear them. Last week, I would have lost a $400 sale if I had mandated masks. — Loann Stokes, Stokes Jewelry, Stillwater, MN
• I’m not wearing one myself, just staying six feet away. If they come in with one on, I ask if they’d like me to wear one, too. If they aren’t wearing one, I just stay six feet away. I am limiting the number of customers to four at a time and requiring that they use my provided hand sanitizer before touching or trying on any of the jewelry. — Janne Etz, Contemporary Concepts, Cocoa, FL
• We REQUEST them but do not REQUIRE them. My staff all has face coverings and are required to wear them when interacting with customers, though. (Every one of the employees I polled said they would not feel comfortable asking someone to put on a mask, and one even told me they will no longer patronize stores that are requiring it.) — Jennifer Hornik Johnson, Miller’s Jewelry, Bozeman, MT
• Our state opened early, and we have much fewer cases of the virus in our state. The people who came in didn’t feel unsafe by us not wearing a mask. We provided sanitizer. — Beth Owens, Skatell’s Jewelers, Spartanburg, SC
• The key word in the question is “require.” Even though there is still a mandate in my county, we let the customers decide whether to wear a mask or not. — Donnie Blanton, Brittany’s Fine Jewelry, Gainesville, FL
• If a customer is wearing a mask, we ask if they would like us to wear one, too. We disinfect everything after every customer. — Rick Nichols, Nassau Jewelry, Fernandina Beach, FL