Confer’s Jewelers has something for everyone with a little bit of everything

By Chris Morelli

Confer’s Jewelers isn’t just a jewelry store — it’s a destination place in downtown Bellefonte and a familiar anchor in the community.

In an age of “big box” stores, Confer’s prides itself on a family-first atmosphere. Monteca Confer said her grandfather, Sam, started the family business as a watch and clock repair shop. Her parents, Monte and Brenda Confer bought the business from him in 1977 and made the transition to a jewelry shop, Confer’s Jewelers.

Although the shop and merchandise has changed a lot since 1977, Confer said the store still prides itself on the basic family values that made the business a success from the start.

“When you walk into our store, you’re going to see the same 10 people every time you come in,” Confer explained. “We’ve been here 40 years. We are going to know the client by name. We’re going to know what they like, we’re going to know their family. A lot of clients we’ve known for three or four generations.”

Confer’s is located at 100 N. Allegheny St. in downtown Bellefonte. It was originally located in Potters Mills before relocating to its current location in 1985. It has been a part of the Bellefonte landscape ever since.

“We love Bellefonte, we love this area and we love our clients. It’s authentic. We really are family-oriented and we care about every person who walks through the door,” Confer said matter-of-factly.

In addition to being some of the most knowledgeable jewelers in the business, Confer’s has something for everyone with a little bit of everything. They’re a member of the Independent Jeweler Organization (IJO), which is a group of approximately 1,000 jewelers. Therefore, they get very competitive pricing, which translates to a better price for customers.

“We tend to get more unique things. The IJO can’t work with the big box stores, they’re not big enough. They have different unique pieces,” Confer explained.

It’s often said that variety is the spice of life. The same can be said for jewelry.

Customers can find anything and everything at Confer’s. From engagement rings to Pandora bracelets, Confer’s has quite the selection.

“We carry anything from a $25 silver necklace to a $25,000 diamond. Anything that anybody wants, we either have it or we can get it,” Confer said.

Like any jewelry store, Confer said that the business peaks at certain times of year — Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Christmas are the obvious ones. But Confer’s also has several special events — a Ladies’ Night, a Guys’ Night, an Estate Event and a Levian Jewelry Night.

Confer’s celebrated its 40th anniversary on April 1, 2017. The store is truly a Bellefonte landmark and hasn’t changed much over the years.

“When we started, we couldn’t afford the display cases. For a long time, It was just my parents. We came to work every day with them. We’ve expanded; we’ve moved the wall but we’re as far back as we can go,” Confer said.

Confer’s outstanding customer service has made the shop a favorite of customers from Centre County and beyond.

“Over the years, we’ve had a lot of customers — and a lot of Penn State students — who leave the area and will contact us to do wedding bands, anniversary bands and gifts. And we ship all over, every day. Our clients are loyal and we have the ability to fulfill any requests,” Confer said.

Confer then added, “We love what we do and we love our customers. We’re incredibly fortunate to have the support of so many people in the Bellefonte community.

Confer’s Jewelers is open six days a week. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday the store is open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursday and Friday it is open from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday.

For more information, stop by their downtown Bellefonte location, call (814) 355-8836 or visit www.confersjewelers.com