Waldo Jewelers

Waldo Jewelers is an owner-operated custom jewelry atelier and manufacturing studio founded in 2009 by goldsmith Michael Marentes and named for the Waldo neighborhood of south Kansas City, Missouri, where it designs and handcrafts engagement and wedding rings entirely in-house. ¹²³

Description

Waldo Jewelers is a privately owned boutique jewelry atelier and manufacturing studio specializing in custom engagement rings, wedding rings, and bridal work, alongside jewelry redesign, repair, and appraisals.¹² The shop frames itself as a direct-from-the-maker operation: per its own materials, “from initial concept to completed piece, all work is done on premises by local craftspeople. No outsourcing means you will get the exact ring you want and enjoy direct-from-the-manufacturer pricing.”¹ Production is handled on-site using CAD design, 3D printing, and traditional goldsmithing, working in gold and platinum with both lab-grown and natural diamonds and other gemstones.¹⁴

The business sits at 7142 Wornall Road in the heart of Waldo’s historic commercial district and is a member of the Waldo Area Business Association.¹³ Customers work directly with the jeweler — “When you come to Waldo Jewelers you will be working directly with the Jeweler.”³

Ownership and history

Waldo Jewelers was founded in 2009 by Michael Marentes.¹³ Marentes discovered the trade as a high-school freshman in a silversmithing class under instructor Chuck Crawford, then pursued formal training at the Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology in Paris, Texas, graduating in 2004.⁵ He works as a goldsmith and diamond setter and is credited as Founder & CEO and head goldsmith of the shop.⁵⁴

The business began as a jewelry design studio under the name Marentes Designs; as it grew, Marentes renamed it Waldo Jewelers to better suit the neighborhood it serves.³ In 2023, the shop moved from a small workshop into a full-scale retail and manufacturing facility in the heart of Waldo’s historic district, expanding into the current immersive custom-design storefront at 7142 Wornall Road.¹³ By 2025, Marentes (also referred to as Michael Marentes-Gonzales) described roughly 30 years in the jewelry industry.⁴

Whether Marentes is a born-and-raised Kansas Citian is not explicitly documented in the sources reviewed; the high-school silversmithing origin and the deliberate naming of the shop for the Waldo neighborhood both point to deep local rooting, but the precise hometown claim is.

Links

• Official website: https://waldojewelers.com/
• About / history: https://waldojewelers.com/about-us/
• Custom jewelry: https://waldojewelers.com/custom-jewelry/
• Waldo KC business directory: https://www.waldokc.org/businesses/waldo-jewelers/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/waldo-jewelers-kansas-city
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Waldojewelers/

Sources

Disputes

None at this time.

Footnotes

1. Waldo Jewelers — official site / “About Us,” https://waldojewelers.com/about-us/ (and homepage https://waldojewelers.com/) — asserts: founded 2009; in 2023 moved from a small workshop into a full-scale retail and manufacturing facility in the heart of Waldo’s historic district; all work done on premises by local craftspeople, “no outsourcing,” direct-from-manufacturer pricing; specializes in custom engagement and wedding rings; lab-grown and other diamonds; address 7142 Wornall Rd, Kansas City, MO 64114; hours Mon–Fri 10–6, Sat 10–4, Sun closed. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

2. Yelp — Waldo Jewelers, Kansas City (updated February 2026), https://www.yelp.com/biz/waldo-jewelers-kansas-city — asserts: address 7142 Wornall Rd, Kansas City, MO 64114; jewelry category; phone (816) 333-4653; 63 photos and 36 reviews as of February 2026, confirming current operation; owner referenced as “Michael” in reviews who makes the rings in-house. ↩ ↩²

3. Waldo Area Business Association / Waldo KC — “Waldo Jewelers,” https://www.waldokc.org/businesses/waldo-jewelers/ — asserts: owner Michael Marentes; founded 2009; began as design studio “Marentes Designs” and was renamed Waldo Jewelers to suit the neighborhood; located in the historic Waldo neighborhood; member of the Waldo Area Business Association; boutique specializing in bridal, custom designs, and repair; “When you come to Waldo Jewelers you will be working directly with the Jeweler”; address 7142 Wornall Road, Kansas City, MO 64114. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

4. KCTV5 — “Local jeweler says the next gold rush is in the jewelry box,” https://www.kctv5.com/2025/03/19/local-jeweler-says-next-gold-rush-is-jewelry-box/ — asserts: Michael Marentes-Gonzales, CEO and head goldsmith of Waldo Jewelers, with ~30 years in the jewelry industry; the shop manufactures (not distributes) using CAD and 3D printing and employs goldsmiths trained at the Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology; currently operating (March 2025). ↩ ↩² ↩³

5. Stuller Blog — “Feature Friday: Michael Marentes,” https://blog.stuller.com/feature-friday-michael-marentes/ — asserts: Michael Marentes discovered jewelry as a high-school freshman under instructor Chuck Crawford; trained at the Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology, graduating 2004; established his boutique in the Waldo district of south Kansas City and named it “Waldo Jewelers”; works as goldsmith and diamond setter with one or two employees; specializes in bridal, custom, and repair. ↩ ↩²