Don’t show up in pajamas, but be prepared: browsing the jewels at new boutique Nine-Eighteen feels like shopping from home.
Owners and siblings, Darin Kunz and Kim Burgan, opened the high-end jewelry shop–named for their parents’ wedding date–in an office building on Turtle Creek so that they could create a relationship with each customer rather than relying on heavy foot traffic. The business is focused on creating a relationship with customers that begins with a simple starter piece or celebratory ring and continues for a lifetime.
“Most of our customers are now family friends,” Kim says. And Darin says, because a diamond is an investment, knowing you can trust a jeweler is important.
In order to reach that personal level of trust, the siblings promise to always give their honest opinion and expert advice. Before purchasing an engagement ring, for example, they educate buyers on each aspect of a diamond: cut, clarity, quality, color, etc. That way the buyer is confident in the owners’ knowledge of the piece as well as their own. And, honest opinions are promised, they say, not just a push for the most expensive piece.
The current selection of jewelry, all displayed in unlocked armoires for easy access, falls along traditional designer, but customers can look forward to six new modern lines of jewelry that will be introduced throughout the year. (Like Amedeo’s fashion forward cameos and Cynthia Anne ancient coin jewelry.) So, whether you’re looking for a piece of jewelry to represent the start of a family, add to your current traditional pieces, or simply want to have a glass of wine and chat, Kim and Darin invite you to experience the view and the at-home feeling of Nine- Eighteen.
Kristi McCann is a shopping intern.
