Doug Fiez with some 40 years experience in fine jewelry design and sales has joined Patty Reece at her New York Diamonds store on South Main Street near Safeway and Walmart.

The designer has been with New York Diamonds since March taking old valuable items and transforming them into contemporary designs for customers.  He says he does the art work after picking the minds of clients, making a sketch and usually carving the creation out of wax before getting the go ahead to complete the work.  He often uses the old gold from the valuables and fashions it into something new and more attractive.

Fiez works a 40-hour week splitting his Mondays and Saturdays into half days so that he is always on site when Reece is at the shop.  Formerly he had a jewelry store in Modesto named William Douglas jewelers that he operated with a partner.  They closed their doors in June of last year. 

“It’s all about attention to detail,” he said.

Custom jewelry and custom logos for the corporate world are part of his skill package that include one of a kind class rings.  He noted that the large ring companies often require 30 to 40 pieces in an order.

Reece also had a jewelry store in Modesto before opening the Manteca location years ago.  She said she still sees many of those Modesto customers coming through the front door of the Manteca store.