Brad Gamss must have heard a chuckle or two when he opened Rahl Jewelers in Hanover Park on, of all dates, April 1, 1982.

That same store—which moved to its current 3,000-square-foot location in Hoffman Estates in 2007—turned 40 on the first day of April this year.

No foolin.’

“Still going strong,” says the amiable Gamss, who started his career in the industry as a 17-year-old Von Steuben High School student, picking up repairs as a delivery boy/runner for a Rahl Jewelers in Chicago.

“I framed the first dollar bill we earned on the day after Fool’s Day, all those years ago.”

In 2021, a year ahead of its Ruby Anniversary, Rahl Jewelers enjoyed its best year in sales ever.

“I love what I do,” says Gamss, whose attentive staff includes his wife, Nancy (sales and marketing), and their son, Ryan, Rahl Jewelers’s manager and a graduate diamond gemologist. “People who enter our store usually do so because of a happy occasion—engagement or birthday or anniversary. I see happiness and excitement every day. It’s a store with a casual and friendly atmosphere. How fortunate am I? We’re family-oriented and we know a lot of our customers’ first names. We’re not stuffy, not pushy. We value great relationships more than anything else.

“And whether it’s a customer who is looking to buy a $100 item, or a customer who’s looking to purchase something for $100,000,” the Palatine resident continues, “we’ll treat each the same way.”

Stacey Hake, another graduate diamond gemologist, serves as Rahl Jewelers’s assistant manager, and Custom Jewelry Designer Tony Carone has worked with Gamss since 1994. Gamss jumped to sales after two years as a runner, got promoted to manager, and, at the age of 27, bought Rahl Jewelers-Hanover Park from a business partner.

“I never drew a salary in my first six months,” Gamss recalls. “I reinvested the money in our Hanover Park location. Vendors knew me and trusted me. Eight months after we opened in 1982, right around Christmastime, I handed a check to my business partner to complete the purchase of the store.

“He was dumbfounded,” adds the former Von Steuben athlete, who, as a baseball player, competed on city … diamonds.

Gamss once went out of his way, happily, to drive an engagement ring to Chicago for a grateful couple the day before their wedding. He once spent six months on a project—making sure the design of a $700,000 ring pleased his customer—and never tires of seeing a future bride cry happy tears at the sight of a striking Rahl Jewelers engagement ring.

Rahl Jewelers also offers wedding bands, fine jewelry, and timepieces. Its services include custom designs, appraisals, design gallery, gold buying, and jewelry and watch repairs.

Precious items at Rahl Jewelers never get sent out. Need a diamond setting? Or a repair? Adornments arrive in-house and stay in-house.

“We’re a full-service jewelry store, with a great selection of inventory; there’s something for everyone here,” Gamss says, adding his knowledgeable staff boasts a combined 100-plus years of experience.

Rahl Jewelers, 847-765-3000, is located at 3001 North Barrington Road, Hoffman Estates, inside the Fountain Crossing Shopping Center. Hours of operation are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Visit rahljewelers.com for more information.