1. 60 ◆ JCK OCTOBER 2014 jckonline.com
shoptalk
PHOTOGRAPHS BY FELIX SANCHEZ
Joseph Keith
2439 Times Blvd., Houston
Joseph Keith Ronquillo started
young. By age 15, he’d learned to
silversmith at his father’s downtown
Houston store. By 17, Ronquillo, a
third-generation jeweler and first-
generation American, decided to
design his own line and open his
own store. Ten years later, he did—in
Rice Village, Houston’s tree-shaded
pedestrianshoppingcenterknownfor
its independent retailers and strategic
location near the world’s largest
medical center and prestigious Rice
University. The 1,280-square-foot
JosephKeithboutiquestandsoutwith
his own handcrafted wares, plus a
few dazzlers by his father,Renato,and
a smattering of private-label platinum
pieces. —Michele Meyer
DESTINY’S CALL
In Ronquillo lore, Joseph is a late bloomer. Father
Renato L. Ronquillo apprenticed at age 14 in his own
father’s jewelry shop in Manila, the Philippines. The
sole certified Jewelers of America Master Bench
­Jeweler in Houston and southeast Texas, Renato
emigrated to Houston at 21, and eventually opened
Renato Jewelers in 1976. Joseph inherited not only the
family passion but also his father’s work ethic. (As a
teenager,his favorite accessory was a sketchpad filled
with designs.) Eager to expand his skills and hori-
zons,he studied the trade for five years at various uni-
versities, including New York City’s Fashion Institute
of Technology. Joseph then worked for his father for a
year—“learning the ins and outs of running a store,”
he explains—and in sales at Tiffany & Co. in Houston
for two years. “Each was a stepping stone to where I
am now,” he says. “I always knew I wanted the free-
dom to be my own boss, selling my own line.”

2. 61jckonline.com JCK OCTOBER 2014 ◆
case study
Storeweadore
➔
JCKONLINE.com
Proudofyourwindowsand
displaycases?Sendusphotos.
WELL SET
With fashion jeweler Kendra Scott less than a block
away—plus the silver-focused J. Landa and designer-
heavy Chardé Jewelers nearby—Joseph figured out
quickly that being a lifestyle store (he sold handbags
and soy candles at one point) wasn’t going to work.
So he honed in on what he does best: jewelry, hand-
made and original. “Each store has its own taste and
approach,” Joseph says. “Everything we sell is one-of-
a-kind, not brand names.” An airy white showroom
flaunts his pendants, rings, and bracelets in textured,
oxidized sterling silver and 18k gold,adorned with lab-
radorite, pearls, turquoise, or raw diamonds. “I design
everyday pieces that are meant to be layered,” he says.
The prices are pretty everyday too,from $50 to $1,500.
CUSTOM COLLABORATIONS
Thirty percent of Joseph’s work is custom:anniversary
presents, cocktail rings, or diamond and platinum
engagement rings, often made from recycled jewelry
and costing up to $10,000.“It becomes an eco-friendly
tribute,” says Joseph, who sometimes invites clients
to sketch their ideas. “I love collaborating with cus-
tomers.” And Joseph’s father has his own ideas for
exceptional pieces. Two showstoppers we spotted on
our visit: a $15,000 platinum and 18k gold pendant
studded with diamonds, spessartite garnets, and sap-
phires,and a $10,000 18k gold and akoya pearl brooch.
GEM GALLERY
Transparent blue vases, antique jewelry boxes, and
rocks scattered within the cases echo Joseph Keith’s
nature-inspired collections. Etched aluminum wall
hangings reflect the textured wares. “I want it to feel
like an art gallery, but cozy.” Like its contents, the
store is an ever-evolving work of art. Noting a strong
recent uptick in men’s sales and a dearth of masculine,
edgy yet professional jewelry, Ronquillo’s next focus is
enlarging his men’s collection:“I love the adrenaline of
building something…whether it’s fabricating a piece of
jewelry or expanding my business.” n