A 75th anniversary is traditionally known as the “diamond anniversary.” This milestone symbolizes an ultra-rare, unbreakable bond, lasting an impressive three-quarters of a century.
In a stroke of synchronicity, Superior’s Nummi Jewelers is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. Diamonds are, after all, a big part of their business.
Nummi Jewelers offers everything from watch repair and jewelry engraving to sales, service and appraisals. However, helping couples make a lifetime commitment is their primary specialty.
“Our tagline is ‘Where the Twin Ports gets engaged’,” noted store manager, Katie Nummi Perrault.
History
Nummi Jewelers was founded by the late Harry Nummi, and opened in October 1951. Nummi grew up on a farm, and broke his hip at just 12 years old.
No longer able to work on the farm, post-injury, he pivoted to watchmaking and the art of horology – the scientific study of time measurement and the art of making timekeeping devices like clocks and watches. The word comes from Greek words meaning “hour” and “study.”
Slowly, Nummi added more watch services to his repertoire. Eventually, he began selling watch bands, and ultimately rolled out jewelry sales and service.
While toda, the business is located at 1120 Belknap Street, it has relocated three times. Interestingly, though, Nummi Jewelers has remained on the same block for its entire 75 years. (Superiorites know its location as the “People’s Drug Block.”)
Dale Nummi
Family Ties
Harry and Mable Nummi sold the business to their son, Dale Nummi, and daughter, Karen Nelson, in 1988. Dale started working for the family business in 1973, when he was in 7th grade. Other than a paper route and a short stint at a greenhouse, this work has made up his entire career.
“Starting in 7th grade, I would walk to the store after school,” Dale Nummi said. “I began with tearing apart old clocks we had in storage.”
Ultimately, Dale earned a two-year certification in horology from Milwaukee Area Technical College. He also possesses a Graduate Gemologist (GG) credential, from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).
Dale’s sister, Karen, left the business in 2014. Dale invited his daughter, Katie Nummi Perrault, to officially join the company in 2013.
Interestingly, Nummi Perrault had been pursuing a different career field entirely. She earned a degree in fish biology from the University of Wisconsin-Superior (UWS), and was working at the Lake Superior Research Institute.
Nummi Perrault started working for the family business in childhood, by doing some cleaning and organizing. But she also had other interests. “I wasn’t interested in jewelry as a kid,” she noted with a chuckle. “I liked hunting and fishing. I attribute that to being ‘farmer stock’.”
However, when one of Dale’s main employees retired in 2013, he hoped his daughter would join the business. She gratefully accepted the offer.
Nummi Perrault is one of six children, but is the only one directly involved in the family business. Nummi Perrault is currently pursuing her GG credential, and, in the years to come, she hopes to purchase Nummi Jewelers from her father.
Beyond that, Nummi Perrault’s 14-year-old son, Liam, has already shown an interest in clocks. And her daughter, Mari, age 10, loves jewelry and watches. So, the hope is that the family business will continue, in the capable hands of another generation.
Sales and Service
Nummi Jewelers offers a wide variety of sales and service when it comes to watches, clocks and jewelry. The business sells rings, necklaces, earrings and anklets. These items come in a variety of metals, including yellow gold, white gold and platinum. There are also plenty of gemstones, such as genuine diamonds, sapphires, rubies and other gems, along with lab-created versions, too.
Nummi sells plenty of clocks and watches, as well. Ancillary services include engraving, appraisals and custom jewelry design. They will clean and check any jewelry items for customers and community members – free of charge. The item doesn’t even have to be purchased from Nummi. They even sell vases and drinkware that can be customized.
Customer service is a big part of what Nummi offers. “We’re all about customer service, and we offer maintenance in-house,” Nummi Perrault said.
Trends
Nummi Perrault shared some of the jewelry trends she has observed in recent years. “Permanent jewelry is really big right now. That is a bracelet or a necklace without a clasp.
“And, in the last 10 years, yellow gold has become a lot more popular than white gold,” she added. “Right now, the trend is with two-tone metals: white and yellow gold, together.”
In the last five years, larger diamonds have become more popular. However, so have lab-created diamonds.
“We sell more lab-grown diamonds than genuine diamonds,” Nummi Perrault said. “We also sell lab-created colored stones, such as sapphires and rubies. A lot of customers make this choice due to price and durability. Then, they can always choose to upgrade to genuine stones later.”
Demographics
Nummi Jewelers sees customers from all over the region. The Twin Ports, of course, but also the Iron Range, Twin Cities and even Canada.
Nummi prides themselves on appealing to all customers. “We have customers who are shopping for their four-year-old children, all the way up to customers in their 80s,” Nummi Perrault said. “We make sure we have items that fit every customer’s needs.”
Many of their customers are shopping in order celebrate a milestone, such as a birthday, anniversary, promotion, engagement or marriage. When it comes to couples getting engaged, many couples nowadays come in to shop together. Or sometimes, a bride will write down her “wish list,” or send her beloved in with some photos. Nummi accommodates whatever their customers want. And, they enjoy serving LGBTQIA+ couples who are getting engaged and married, too.
“We want to make sure all of our customers feel seen,” Nummi Perrault said. “We want to be part of their story, rather than them being part of our story. We are non-commission based. We want to make sure the customer is getting the right repair – the right item – for their story.”
The Nuumi team (from left): Scott Peterson, Katie Nummi Perrault, Ryan Granquist, Dale Nummi, Holly McMillen, Abbi Lundberg, Steve Shaw, Barb Finckler and Kathryn Smedberg.
Employees and Hours
In addition to Nummi and Nummi Perrault, the business employs eight others. This includes:
- A jeweler
- An apprentice jeweler
- An engraver/clock repairman
- An apprentice watch repairman
- Two part-time sales experts
- One full-time office manager
- And a UWS student, who handles Nummi’s social media accounts
The business is open from Monday to Friday, from 10 am – 4 pm. Personal appointments can be booked from 9 – 10 am, and from 4 – 5 pm, and later. Appointments can be made on the Nummi website. The business is also open Saturdays during the holiday season, from Thanksgiving to Christmas.
And, speaking of Christmas, Nummi’s holiday commercials have become a huge hit with customers. Here, Dale dresses up in holiday-themed suit coat, encouraging folks to stop by.
“It all started when we’d go to these RJO (Retail Jewelers Organization) conventions twice a year,” Dale said. “There was a jewelry store that had a guy who dressed up in a king’s costume, and he would fly in their commercials. It looked like fun. So, I found a goofy suit coat and it snowballed from there. It has become a fun way to promote the store in a lighthearted and approachable way.”
Professional Affiliations
Nummi Jewelers has been a member of the RJO since 2014. This professional organization teaches skills like sales, repair, technology, as well as keeping track of industry trends.
Nummi is also a member of Jewelers of America, and has been for many years. Its membership predates both Dale and Katie’s employment.
Customer testimonial
There are hundreds of positive testimonials about Nummi Jewelers available on Google and the Nummi Jewelers website. For instance, Emily B said, “The entire staff at Nummi is so kind and helpful. Katie helped my husband custom-design my engagement ring, and they helped us pick the perfect wedding band.
“I went back today to have a necklace untangled, and they were super helpful and quick! Best jewelry store around, by far.”
Looking Ahead
With 75 years of incredible success behind them, the Nummis have much to be grateful for. “The most rewarding thing is making the customer happy,” Dale said. “When you deliver a product that they are thrilled with, that is what the job is about.”
“And that applies whether it’s a new piece, or a piece we’ve restored,” Nummi Perrault added. “There is nothing better than being a part of these little moments that make up a lifetime that your jewelry represents.”
For more information, please visit nummijewelers.com.
Andrea Busche is a Duluth-based freelance writer and business owner.
