Meet Village Originals, one of the largest importers of semi-precious stones in the USA. Jay Gehring started it all in 1973, and it has remained a tight-knit family business ever since. Village Originals is currently operated by the founder’s three children: Jim Gehring, Jennifer Badik, and Gwynne Grilli. Additionally, the team also includes two of Jay’s sons-in-law, multiple grandchildren, and Raegen Porter, Village Original's show manager who has been with the company for over thirty years.
As Jay’s family has grown over the years, so has his business. They now have three different wholesale warehouses located in Orlando, Fla., Charleston, S.C., and their newest addition, Tucson, Ariz., which just opened in May. The Orlando, Charleston, and Tucson warehouses are open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is recommended that you call the warehouse prior to visiting.
From the beginning, Village Originals has been a business that values integrity and stands out for offering exceptional quality, a plethora of variety, and cutting-edge pricing for exceptional products. This company purchases gems, minerals, and jewelry from all over the world and focuses on simple yet elegant designs that make the stone the star of the show!
Speaking of elegant designs, they just launched a new line of .925 sterling silver jewelry with over 100 different stunning stones. “When we do something, we do it big, and that definitely shows with this new line,” exclaimed Jim Gehring. “Using .925 sterling silver handcrafted in India and using only top quality gemstones, this is a collection you do not want to miss.”
Gehring adds, “There is plenty of sterling gemstone jewelry out there and it makes for a competitive market but still Village Originals comes out on top as one of the best. We carefully select extra quality gemstones and that combined with superb craftsmanship of the silver makes a truly spectacular line of jewelry.” Village Originals currently has an impressive variety of over 200 stones to choose from and continues to add more.
Village Originals also carries a line of gold-plated jewelry (18k over sterling silver) with a large selection of different gemstones. Gehring mentions that their gold offerings have been a popular collection with the younger generation, and they are proud to offer a beautiful gold look without having you pay the price.
Not only does Village Originals set up and sell at two of the largest gem and mineral shows in the world — the Kino Gem & Mineral Show in Tucson and the Denver Expo Gem Show at the National Western Complex in Denver — they also own and operate these shows. If you can’t make it to a show, their three different wholesale warehouses/showrooms (mentioned above) include a huge selection of jewelry, so please have a copy of your tax ID, EIN, or business license.
Company details, contact info, their line of products, photos, and the location of their shows are on the Village Originals profile page on the Xpo Press website. Show dates and hours, floorplans, vendor lists, and Google map directions are also on the show profile pages for the Kino Gem & Mineral Show in Tucson and the Denver Expo Gem Show.