It started with a dream...
For years Gerardo Velasquez dreamed of owning his own store where he could help people express their unique personality through fine jewelry.
When he was only 20 years old he began an apprenticeship, specializing in diamond and gemstone setting. He was eager to learn everything he could.
In time, Gerardo began visiting high-end jewelers across the country. There he would remount, recreate, and repair jewelry for customers while they watched. This experience made him realize the tremendous value customers received when they were able to work directly with a jeweler and not just a salesperson.
After marrying his wife, Maria and starting a family, Gerardo’s dream finally became reality. In 1987 he turned the living room of his family’s home into G.V. Jewelry. Since then the store named for its founder has helped thousands of customers fulfill their own dreams by designing custom fine jewelry that makes them feel amazing.
Though Gerardo sadly passed in 2019, his legacy lives on.
Today G.V. Jewelry is still proudly family and minority-owned.
Julio Velasquez took over the business from his father after spending his entire life in the jewelry industry. He learned to set his first diamonds at 12 years old and his love and enthusiasm for the craft have only grown from there. Now he is a passionate jewelry designer with expertise in every aspect of creating fine jewelry.
Julio continues to champion a unique approach to custom fine jewelry. We combine attentive, supportive client collaboration with a commitment to doing the work ourselves. Unlike many “custom” jewelers who outsource much of the work to strangers, we are directly involved from initial concept, to choosing gemstones, to crafting the finished product. This ensures the highest levels of quality and a finished product that matches your vision in all the details.
What started as simply one immigrant’s dream became a small “mom-and-pop” shop in the living room of the family house. Today, G.V. Jewelry fills that same building. We are an intimate part of Chicago’s inclusive and diverse Bowmanville/Andersonville neighborhood.
The dream has grown but it hasn’t changed. We are proud to help customers from all backgrounds realize their own dream of owning unique fine jewelry that makes them feel amazing.
Our Team
Matthew Jimenez
Design Consultant
Matthew, born and raised in Chicago, is a full-time graduate student at the School of The Art Institute of Chicago studying architecture. In his free time, Matthew enjoys learning about the intersection of design and art. His favorite architect is Le Corbusier and his favorite painter is Fernand Léger.
Emma Luzio
Junior Designer
Emma, a recent Northwestern graduate, is an emerging jewelry designer with a background in mechanical engineering, design, and art — but more importantly, she’s been a jewelry person for as long as she can remember. Her favorite gemstones are rubies!