Ken Gray Moves Design Jewelers to Intimate Custom Studio in Santa Rosa

Ken Gray spent nearly three decades making wedding rings for Santa Rosa families, then watched their children walk through the same door at Montgomery Village to commission rings of their own. That second-generation loyalty is part of what made closing the retail storefront at 2415 Magowan Drive so charged with feeling — and part of what convinced him the work itself was too meaningful to stop entirely.

After closing Design Jewelers in Montgomery Village, Gray has relocated to a smaller, appointment-driven studio at 567 Summerfield Road, Suite A, Santa Rosa, CA 95405. The new space opened in February and operates Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with Saturday visits by appointment. Walk-ins are welcome during the weekday hours, though the studio recommends scheduling ahead if you need dedicated time with the jeweler.

"In a way, I did retire, but not in the traditional sense," Gray said. "Retirement for me means doing what I love on my own terms. The day-to-day of retail is tough, and it got me thinking about how I wanted to move forward with creating jewelry."

The shift strips away inventory management and retail overhead, leaving Gray free to work one-on-one with clients on pieces designed from scratch. He is a GIA-certified gemologist, goldsmith, and expert stone setter with over 40 years of experience — credentials that translate directly to a custom process where he handles design, fabrication, and setting himself. Notably, Design Jewelers charges no custom design fee; clients pay only for labor and materials, a pricing structure that compares favorably to larger studios where design consultations alone can run several hundred dollars.

"I remain deeply committed to customer service, but now I have the freedom to focus on the creative and artistic aspects of jewelry design," Gray said. "Now I have a stronger focus on designing exceptional jewelry and collaborating directly with customers on their custom pieces, while continuing to offer repair work as I always have."

Repair and heirloom redesign remain part of the studio's core offering alongside original commissions. The business retains the Design Jewelers name, and the announcement to longtime clients struck a deliberately warm tone: "Please don't be alarmed, as Ken is still working hard making beautiful pieces and taking care of your jewelry."

Gray told the Press Democrat that he also wants to spend more time with his own young son — a personal calculus that sits alongside the professional one. What surprised him during the Montgomery Village closing was the community response. "I've been here for so long and didn't really realize how many people I have reached and how many people I've touched with the work that we do here," he said, describing the outpouring as a reminder of how deeply a neighborhood jeweler can become embedded in the milestones of a community.

The studio can be reached at (707) 569-1314 or racerxdesigns@yahoo.com. For a jeweler whose clients have spanned generations, the move to Summerfield Road looks less like a conclusion than a deliberate narrowing of focus — toward the work he has always valued most.