L J Boss Company

L J Boss Company is a custom jewelry and repair business in the lobby of One Gateway Center in downtown Pittsburgh. The company was established in 1948 and has stayed a family operation throughout its history — Mike Masters took over ownership in 1986, and his daughter Allison has run the business since 2005. The showroom features handcrafted engagement rings and styles ranging from vintage-inspired antiques to modern fashion pieces, but the workshop behind it is what the company centers its identity on. L J Boss offers expert jewelry repair, pearl and bead stringing, and appraisals, all done on-site rather than sent out to a third party — the kind of full-service setup that lets the small staff work directly with customers on everything from restoring a family heirloom to designing an engagement ring from scratch. With a perfect 5.0 Google rating, the business has built its reputation on that close, personal relationship between customer and jeweler rather than volume retail. Being family-run for nearly 80 years and still located downtown gives it a level of institutional continuity that's relatively rare among small jewelry shops, and the open workshop model reflects a shop built around craftsmanship rather than a typical sales floor.