When you’re in the market for something precious—gold, diamonds or a Rolex, perhaps—the hunt for the perfect piece can be as exciting as the actual acquisition. And when making an investment—large or small—in a piece of fine jewelry or a high-end timepiece, a purveyor offering top-quality, authenticated product is key. Luxe Jewel Exchange filled that niche when it opened its eyepopping showroom in 2021, bringing a full complement of unique services and a highly curated selection to Mount Pleasant and the greater Charleston area. Staffed by professionals with decades of industry experience, Luxe is equipped to fulfill every client’s needs, whether a buyer or seller.

Husband and wife Kyle and Leslie Campbell anchor the Luxe team, leading with a long professional history in the Lowcountry’s fine jewelry market.

“My husband has been a bench jeweler in this town for more than 30 years,” says Leslie Campbell, Luxe Jewel Exchange’s general manager and a Gemological Institute of America alum.

Formerly of Campbell’s Jewelers, Kyle Campbell’s career in the business began at the age of 13; his expertise working with stones and gold earned him a Master Jeweler designation. Today, his innovative designs help to set Luxe apart from other jewelry operations.

“Charleston does not have a lot of choices for out-of-the-box jewelry stores,” Leslie Campbell says. “Most stores carry basically the same standard items—they’ve all got an array of tennis bracelets, an array of earrings—nothing really special or unique. I’ve traveled all over the world working for an airline, so I appreciate jewelry from different places. I have a much more eclectic approach to jewelry selection. Our new and vintage watch component is also a big part of our inventory—we have our own luxury watch expert in-store.”

Luxe is one of the few jewelers in the area that buys preowned jewelry from the public, offering a variety of reseller services in which the store works with the client to optimize a piece they no longer love.

“We have people come in with boxes full of an estate’s cache of jewelry,” notes Campbell. “We’ll go through your loved one’s things and guide you as to what’s real and what’s not; this is what we can pay you for the gold or the platinum; these are really amazing vintage pieces, and we’re going to pay you a lot more for these than what their gold weight is.”

Jewelry is the original recyclable; nobody throws away a piece of gold when they’re done with it because it has intrinsic value. Providing potential customers with choices and helping them understand their benefits are tenets Luxe stands by, establishing confidence and trust along the way.

“We have repeat business because we believe in educating people about our process,” explains Campbell. “We strive to give you a real assessment. A lot of times people just don’t know the proper value of their jewelry and watches, so we show them how we arrive with our numbers.”

In addition to buying a piece outright, Luxe Jewel Exchange will take a client’s valuables on consignment, proffering both a well-respected reputation and a highly secure setting—in other words, peace of mind your items are in competent hands.

“If a customer wants more than I’m willing to offer for an item, we’ll sell it for them, and we’ll do a split, very similar to The RealReal or Poshmark,” Campbell notes. “We have lots of high-end name brands, like Rolex, Tag and Patek Philippe in watches, and previously loved jewelry like Cartier and Tiffany.”

She points out that selling goods privately, while it may seem to be more profitable, comes with challenges. “People get really frustrated selling things on [Facebook] Marketplace,” she says. “It’s not the safest way to do it—meeting somebody in a parking lot with a $20,000 item—each party is worried they may be getting ripped off or fear items might be fake.”

With an expansive property at Mount Pleasant Towne Centre, Luxe Jewel Exchange exudes contemporary sophistication, with industrial-style beamed ceilings, glistening black “marble” tile flooring and rich, dark wood cabinetry. Guests are buzzed in through a secure entryway—a welcoming environment you’re not afraid to leave your grandmother’s box of jewelry in.

Luxe also offers redesign and custom-design services—handcrafting one-of-a-kind pieces is Kyle Campbell’s specialty.

“We’re like old-school jewelers,” his wife says. “People bring in photos of something they saw on vacation they wish to duplicate—and we’ll reproduce it. Or we can redesign your grandmother’s ring for your wedding. We try to give you as many good choices as possible.”

The Luxe staff is experienced in handling customers’ insurance policy claims, working with the insurance company providing coverage for the repair of a damaged piece.

Also in the Luxe portfolio of services is the availability of bullion for the precious metals investor. “We carry gold and silver and platinum bars,” Kyle Campbell says. “All of our pricing is based on those markets, so if you want to invest in currency, that’s something we can also help with.”

Community outreach is an important part of the Luxe mission. “We participate in lots of charity events and make donations to charitable organizations like East Cooper Community Outreach (ECCO),” Leslie Campbell says. “We collaborate with the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in an ongoing program. When a customer comes to us to replace a watch battery and mentions MUSC, we make a contribution to the medical center.”

For the lover of luxury, Luxe offers a unique, curated collection in a stunning, museum-quality setting. Whether you’re seeking or selling vintage or new or just window shopping, Luxe Jewel Exchange will help you “think outside the jewelry box.” *

Wendy Swat Snyder is a Charleston-based freelance writer (sweetgrassandgrits.com).