Carmel-by-the-Sea in 1973 was a very different village than the one we know and love today. Yes, there were plenty of visitors, but the retail landscape was more directed to catering to a local clientele. As now, there were plenty of art dealers—in keeping with the town’s heritage as an art colony—good restaurants and souvenir shops, in addition to shops that served the full-time population. The business community was a bohemian mix, populated by entrepreneurs from all over the globe. Into this mix arrived a young man, a gentleman of Armenian extraction who grew up in Istanbul, Turkey. He opened a small jewelry store on San Carlos between Ocean and Seventh where he began designing and crafting the exquisite pieces that he has come to be known for worldwide. His name is Kirkor Kocek. His business, Kocek Jeweler, Inc., is celebrating a half-century of continuous operation this year.
Kocek began his apprenticeship in the art of jewelry at the age of twelve in Istanbul. One day while attending school, his instructor asked the class, “Who wants to be a jeweler?” “I raised my hand and said, ‘I do,'” he recalls. That decision, most likely made on a boyhood whim, charted the course that brought him to Carmel and to the lifelong vocation he clearly adores.
“When I first came to the U.S., I worked for a friend of one of my jewelry teachers in Beverly Hills,” Kocek recalls. “I heard a man was looking for a jeweler in Carmel, so I took a Greyhound bus here. The town reminded me of Switzerland.” At the time, Kocek didn’t speak English and didn’t own a car. But he did know how to make jewelry and he was hired at the princely sum of $12.50 an hour. “That was good money in the 1970s,” he jokes. He attended English classes at Monterey High and soon opened his own shop. “I was a one man show,” Kocek says, “and then hired a salesperson. I was new to business; she was new to jewelry sales. We both started at zero.” Later, he was offered the empty storefront across San Carlos and moved into the space Kocek Jeweler, Inc. occupies to this day.
Business was—and is—good, due to several factors. First is Kocek’s natural, genuine charm and obvious love of people. But no business can succeed for half a century on personality alone. It’s the exquisite jewelry designs this master jeweler creates that has brought him a following of clients that now spans generations.
This is a man who was clearly born to be a jewelry designer. “In addition to being my livelihood, this is my hobby,” Kocek says. “It makes me comfortable. Some people go to psychiatrists, I design jewelry. It’s therapy to me and always has been.”
Next to the shop’s front door is a special showcase Kocek calls his “museum.” On display are pieces he considers to be significant in his artistic development and career, beginning with a ring he made for his mother in 1959, when he was 15. Also on display are several masterfully drawn pencil sketches on vellum of jewelry pieces. From these drawings, it’s clear that Kocek could also be a fine artist, if he chose to pursue that avenue. Also in the case are a pair of California grizzly bear cuff links. This design has historical significance; an identical pair were on President Ronald Reagan’s wrists during the assassination attempt in March 1981. Former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger also purchased several for gifts and personal use. One piece the artist is particularly proud of is the cross he designed for Pope John Paul II. He was granted a personal audience with the pope, and framed photos of the occasion are on the wall behind the showcase.
Behind the showroom is a workroom containing every tool imaginable for crafting metal and gemstone jewelry. It’s clearly all business here and it’s where jeweler Giovanni Lo Gelfo translates Kocek’s designs into 3D reality. As office manager, Michelle Johnson oversees operations and sales. Fully 65% of the pieces on offer are designed by Kocek; the remainder are mainly from European makers. “They must meet my standards,” he says. “Quality and price have always been top priorities to me.”
Kirkor Kocek is indeed a fine jewelry designer who has found his niche in life and loves every moment. But he is also a fiercely loyal man. Over the years he has brought family members and many of his jewelry school friends to the U.S. and set them up in businesses or with other jewelers. Combined with his inestimable design skills and business acumen, it’s this personality trait that has been fundamental to the fact that Kocek’s is the oldest Carmel business continuously run by the same proprietor. And he’s not done yet.
For the Love of the Craft
by Kimberly Horg | 57° Magazine
Growing up in Istanbul, Kirkor Kocek was an Armenian working hard as a young boy to survive. After his father's textile factory burned, Kocek and his three older brothers, born to his parents, Varuhi and Horen, went to work. This instilled strong family values and a sense of community at an early age.
When Kocek was 11, his principal asked the classroom, "Who would like to be a ieweler?" Kocek. without hesitation raised his hand and said. “I do." Even at an early age, he knew what he wanted to do and that this was his callina. Working full-time at an early age in the market, Kocek learned the trade quickly. Creativity came naturally: crafting wooden go karts out of spare wood was a common pastime.
At 13, a gold synthetic Alexandrite ring was the first of many he designed Kocek never forgot how he felt when he brought his mother to tears, and to this day, he continues to bring his customers to tears of joy with the beauty and thoughtfulness behind each design--not to mention the years of design and technique that personalizes each work of art.
In the 1970s, at 23, Kocek had an opportunity to travel to the United States and design jewelry with a friend in Beverly Hills. Three months later, he found himself on a road trip to Carmel. Upon arriving, Kocek felt at home Carmel reminded him of the islands in Istanbul and part of Switzerland.
With only seven jewelers in Carmel, a wholesale jeweler tested his skill by asking him to make a ring out of a stick of gold. Completing the task in a little over two hours, he was hired on the spot.
After a couple of years' experience, Kocek was well on his way to becoming a master jeweler and opened Kocek Jeweler, Inc. in Carmel. In his own words, "I came here to the United States for one reason. People can be anything they want to be.
Remembering his mother's emotional response to his jewelry, Kocek continues to personalize every piece that he creates. In recreating an emotional experience for all of his customers, he understands that his creations are keepsakes that will be passed down from generation to generation.
Presenting the finished product to customers is his favorite part of the job. Bette Davis, Kim Novak, Clint Eastwood, Jim Carrey, Tim Allen, Paul Anka, Bob Hope, Jimmy Doolittle, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and President Reagan, are just a few of the well-known clients he has served in Carmel. Presenting Pope John Paul Il a piece at the Vatican is another lasting memory.
An active member of the The Rotary Club of Monterey for over 20 years, Kirkor Kocek has served on the Carmel Business Association and Chamber of Commerce. He was awarded the Business of the Year and the Green Ribbon Award for the Best Jeweler in Town. Kocek also belongs to The American Appraisal Association, The National Association of Jewelry Appraisers, The International Society of Appraisers, The Jeweler Board of Trade, and The California Jeweler Association, and he supports Kinship Center, Rancho Cielo, and The Boys and Girls Club.