This family-owned business is still shining bright after 36 years
If you’re considering purchasing an engagement ring—or any type of jewelry—this holiday season, stop by Cornelis Hollander Jewelry Designs to take a peek at their impressive, customized collection. Established in 1984, Cornelis Hollander Jewelry Designs is located in the heart of the Scottsdale Art District and specializes in customized engagement rings and one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces that you won’t find anywhere else.
“We’re family owned and operated, which means you’ll find us paying closer attention to each individual piece of jewelry and providing higher quality pieces,” explains Walter C. Hollander, the current owner of the shop and son of its namesake, Cornelis, who started the shop in his garage.
Hollander shares that there is originality in every piece—and there has been since the beginning.
About Cornelis Hollander Jewelry Designs
Founded in 1984, Cornelis Hollander Jewelry Designs is a full-service jewelry design company. Its jewelry has been distributed throughout the U.S. and internationally. All of their jewelry designs are manufactured in their local studio.
A native of the Netherlands, its founder, Cornelis Hollander, studied art and jewelry design at the Vrije Academie in Den Haag, Holland. As a young graduate, he apprenticed for two years in Hatton Gardens, London’s renowned jewelry district. Adventure then called young Cornelis to Johannesburg, South Africa — the diamond and gold capital of the world —where he opened his studio and started designing jewelry. Living and traveling in Africa, the young designer’s imagination and creativity were blooming. After several years, adventure called again — this time to America, where Cornelis and future wife, Christa, settled in Phoenix.
Over the years, his natural talent was refined by education, travel and diversified cultural experiences. After winning award after award, he became one of the premier jewelry designers in the world—eventually passing down ownership of the shop about twelve years ago to Walter.
“Here at Cornelis Hollander, we work with only the most highly skilled craftsmen to produce the finest quality jewelry,” Hollander attests.
Cornelis Hollander Jewelry is proud to offer custom designs. Often, customers bring their own special gemstones or outdated jewelry to upgrade to a modern designer look.Beyond its local availability, custom designs are also available for those who live out of state.
Cornelis Hollander operates with an old-world philosophy of trustworthiness, honesty and hard work. Therefore, the sales team doesn’t rely on high-pressure techniques but instead focuses on the history of humble artistry and beautiful designs that sell themselves, according to Hollander.
The Process
The steps to making the jewelry look like this:
Discovery: The first step is to find your perfect ring. In your initial consultation, they will share ideas, discover your preferences, and determine what you’ll love wearing.
CAD Design: Next, they transform your ideas with their 3D-modeling system. State-of-the-art computer-aided design software will bring your vision to life.
Modeling: Once you have created your ring, they will produce a model with a 3D printer.
The Final Product: “This step is why we get up in the morning. It is the finale of all our hard work and brings us immense satisfaction, because our rings always exceed expectations,” Hollander says. “The beauty, craftsmanship, quality, and weight are indescribable until you’ve held one in your hand.”
One-of-a-Kind Engagement Rings
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hollander says that the shop did a re-branding, naming each of their most popular engagement rings and adding new photos and descriptions to their website.
He says that one of the most popular styles is the Modus. The ring is described as: “A ring unlike any other; that defies expectations of what jewelry should look like. This ring has dramatic features and a cult-like following. The center stone is held with four elongated prongs and the diamond bar that touches the finger and arches upward. This ring is symbolic of bringing your perfect love into being – having won the heart that matters most and defied all odds.”
Hollander says that they have sample designs of all of their popular rings on site, then customers can take it from there and customize the ring to their own specifications. Some of the most common trends include re-purposing an old engagement ring or other jewelry or having man-made diamonds or moissanite in the center to save on costs.
Speaking of costs, Hollander says customized jewelry is often more affordable than customers first expect. “We have such a wide variety of jewelry—we can even make something new out of jewelry you already have,” he explains. “Customers will certainly find value in coming here.”
And, don’t just take it from him—do an online search for Cornelis Hollander Jewelry Designs and there are seemingly countless 5-star reviews.
“I had an engagement ring made at Cornelis Hollander in March,” says a recent customer. “It turned out more beautiful than I could’ve hoped for. Walter was very accommodating and helped me find the perfect one. He asked questions and really worked with me to find something within my price range. I proposed, and my now fiancé absolutely loves her ring. [I’m] super grateful for Walter and his services. We will definitely be coming back to him for the wedding bands.”
Cornelis Hollander Jewelry Designs is located at 4151 N. Marshall Way in Scottsdale. To learn more, visit their website at cornelishollander.com, call 480-423-5000, or
e-mail [email protected].
