About Us
Prepared with a prestigious gemological degree and a sterling reputation, Joseph A. Cassarino opened his jewelry shop, The Gem Lab, in 1958. Located in the Sibley Tower Building in downtown Rochester, New York, the original Gem Lab occupied one small room. Joe’s intent was to serve as the “jeweler’s jeweler”. He knew that if he could provide the best technical service, including gem identification, jewelry repair and fabrication, he would gain a loyal following of retail and major department jewelry stores.
Joe’s aspiration for excellence was evident early on. His degree, the FGA (Fellow of the Gemmological Association), is awarded by the Gemmological Association of Great Britain. The designation is a benchmark of merit that few share. There are currently fewer than 175 people in the United States who hold this title.
A jeweler holding an FGA title offers absolute assurance to the customer that he understands the nature and various qualities of gemstones and the methods employed in their identification, grading and fashioning.
In the beginning, Joe worked alone on the hands-on jewelry part of the business while his wife, Shirley, took care of administrative tasks. Slowly the Cassarinos began to add staff and expand their work and showroom space. In 1976 their eldest son, Paul, joined The Gem Lab. In 1982, twenty-five years after his father, Paul was also awarded the FGA. In addition, he holds the title GG or (Graduate Gemologist), a designation conferred by the Gemological Institute of America and is a Certified Member (specializing in Jewlery and Gemstones) of the ISA (International Society of Appraisers). Paul is the only CAPP (Certified Appraiser of Personal Property) within a 200+ mile radius around Rochester.
In 2000, Paul's sister, Lori, joined the staff part time to assist with sales and bookeeping duties.
Along with the four Cassarino family members, the staff includes more than a dozen valued employees. While several staff members are sales personnel, the majority of employees are jewelers. These artisans spend their days working behind the scenes in the in-house, full-service jewelry shop. These jewelers practice their respective specialties as goldsmiths, bead-stringers and polishers under the guidance of Joseph and Paul Cassarino.
Back in 1958, Joe had no way of knowing that his reputation for being knowledgeable and honest and for consistently offering fair pricing would eventually gain him his own large retail following.
After years of growth in downtown Rochester, on November 1, 1993, The Gem Lab moved its operations to their larger Henrietta facility in order to concentrate their inventory and skills and to better serve their customers.