Kevin Cuppia: Modern Jewelers
“Modern Jewelers opened after World War I. Back in the 40s and 50s, everything was modern appliances, stereos, TVs, toasters, and even luggage. My father-in-law came in in the early 1960s and he managed the store for a group that bought it from the original owner. That group wanted to get out of the business, so he bought it from them in the early 60s and it’s been in the family since then.
I was born in New Jersey, and my family moved down here in 1971. Beaufort Academy is where I met my wife in the 10th grade. We stayed together through thick and thin in college and then got married. We had been living in Savannah for a year when her dad called up and said, ‘How would you like to take over the business?’ We had been wanting to move back to Beaufort—she was born and raised here, and all our friends were here. So, we moved back here in 1981, going on 44 years.
It’s a fun business because people come in here for happy occasions—engagement rings, anniversaries, birthdays, baby gifts, etc. Or when it’s for repairs, you might be fixing grandma’s jewelry or other things that have a lot of value for people. It’s not always easy, but it’s rewarding to be a very important part of people’s lives.
My son, who’s been in the business now for probably 15 years, took it to a whole other level and now we ship all over the country. It’s pretty amazing that so much of it is done on the telephone. Someone will send a picture saying, ‘This is what my girlfriend wants’ and Chase will create it, ship it, and they’ve never stepped foot in the store.
The advantage of coming to a small family jeweler over a mass market store is all about personal attention. We want to help and we’re not here just to make a sale. We want to help the customer. If you help the customer, you’re going to make a sale. If you help them and make a happy sale, they’re coming back.
We’ve got great grandkids of previous Modern Jewelers customers who are now buying engagement rings from us and they wouldn’t go anywhere else. It’s cool to have that kind of history and relationship with people. I had a 95-year-old lady in here the other day with her 60-something-year-old daughter. They said, ‘This is the only place that we go to’ and they’ve been coming ever since Modern Jewelers opened!
We’re very fortunate and blessed because Beaufort is such a great community, so we try to give back. We sponsor the DragonBoat races, the HBF’s annual Lafayette Soirée, the Water Festival, and other things. That’s how a community works—people giving to each other. If you give to the community, the community gives back. It sounds a little corny, but it really does.
My wife and I have been very blessed to have been able to raise our kids here, and all our grandkids are here as well. We’re living a good life.”
– Kevin Cuppia, Modern Jewelers
