Longtime Spokane-based Mark Webb Jewelers Inc. has recently moved from the Northpointe Plaza shopping center to a space in a newly constructed building at 604 N. Freya.

Mark Webb, who owns Mark Webb Jewelers and specializes in designing his own original diamond cuts, says he opened for business in the new space on Feb. 1, after having leased an 1,800-square-foot space at the Northpointe Plaza for more than 20 years.

Webb says that while the new space is smaller, at 1,100 square feet, the layout of the showroom and offices allow him to provide more private customer consultations than he was able to handle at the location on Spokane's North Side.

"With the decrease in size, I can offer better pricing structures because there is less overhead," he adds.

Webb says he modeled the design of his business's new space after the offices of prestigious diamond cutters in Belgium, whom he has worked with for decades, having traveled there more than 20 times.

Webb says the Northpointe showroom had numerous display cases that were filled and emptied each day for security purposes, and the store's layout didn't provide any areas for him to meet one on one with customers.

At the business's new headquarters, Webb says there is a large entrance lobby, as well as two separate offices to show jewelry pieces and stones. Webb, who sees customers by appointment only, also has a workshop there.

Besides Webb, the business currently employs two people. Webb says the company has been able to employ a few less people since moving because the absence of the jewelry display cases means he doesn't need extra staff to fill and empty cases each day.

"All of the pieces are in trays, and whatever the customer wants to look at, I get out of a safe, so it's more secure and efficient," Webb says of the new setup.

Webb is the designer and patent holder for the Liberty Star diamond, a cut he designed about 10 years ago. Webb says he recently received patent approval for another diamond shape he's designed. He says he's in the process of negotiating with several international diamond cutters seeking to buy rights to produce the new diamond shape.

Webb says he also recently formed a partnership with Greg Berdan, who owns the building in which Webb's jewelry business now is located, to manage the licensing of Webb's patented diamond designs. Called Star Diamonds, Webb says the new venture is focused on serving international diamond cutters who wish to purchase the rights to produce and sell Webb's proprietary diamond designs.

Berdan also owns a business called Hard Case, which makes and distributes eyeglass accessories and is based at the building on Freya Street.