“The people who buy here just love beautiful things,” says Czerwiak. Owner Andres Czerwiak describes his clients as investors, collectors and discerning connoisseurs who value magnificence. The store now features both rare period designs and hard-to-find signed pieces from prestigious brands such as Van Cleef & Arpels and Buccellati. As it made its way west to Carmel, the estate jewelry offerings expanded. The third-generation business started in Illinois. Wilke’s also has a customer base seeking exceptional pieces from the Georgian and Edwardian eras to Art Deco and beyond. “It’s almost like a museum,” he says, describing how the public flows wide-eyed through the store. One of the most memorable sales was an extremely rare, custom-set Golconda diamond worth more than $350,000. Nearly 80 percent of Fourtané’s business comes from repeat customers, according to Josh. Each piece is hand selected for the store, which is also authorized to sell both vintage and new Rolex watches. Set on busy Ocean Avenue, Fourtané’s elegant inventory includes jewelry dating back to the 1800s. Today they work together at Fourtané, which opened in 1950 and has been in the Bonifas family for 25 years. Josh Bonifas grew up watching his father, John, and mother, Sandy, select rare diamonds and antique Victorian and Art Nouveau pieces from collections worldwide. Basically, I’m not a fine jeweler-I’m a fun jeweler.” “My clients don’t just want jewelry that matches an outfit,” she says. Nature impacts Mahoney’s whimsical designs, with silver mermaids and dragonflies gracing pendants crafted from turquoise, coral and labradorite. Her new Doud Arcade store comes after 12 years in the Mid Valley Center. Then, at age 40, she took a silversmith class at Monterey Peninsula College and was inspired. While owner Robin Mahoney enjoyed her 1960’s Carmel High School jewelry-making class, she never dreamed of opening a store in her hometown. Not far from Kocek Jeweler’s San Carlos location is the Doud Arcade, where Robin’s Jewelry Carmel-by-the-Sea opened in April. He says quality distinguishes his pieces. Kocek began as a jewelry apprentice at age 12 in Istanbul,Turkey, polished his craft in the city’s famed Covered Bazaar, and opened his own Carmel shop in 1973. “When people buy here, we become part of their lives.” “It was a beautiful feeling, being part of that,” says Kocek. Both she and her husband cried with happiness. He recalls presenting a four-carat diamond to a Sacramento client. Designer Kirkor Kocek, who crafted a cross for Pope John Paul II and cufflinks for former President Ronald Reagan and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, also occasionally makes personal deliveries. Also featured are Porsche Design, Roger Dubuis and other timepieces selling for upwards of $200,000.įor discriminating out-of-area clients, Lussori’s concierge brings merchandise to the location of choice for a personal, on-site shopping experience. Lussori recently began carrying Michael Beaudry’s collections, along with already-popular Savransky and Hearts on Fire diamonds. “Our philosophy, on the watch side and the jewelry side, is to offer the finest, the most luxurious and the best, at any cost,” he says. According to Lussori Director of Retail Operations, David Berck, the city also attracts the store’s sophisticated clientele. He then purchased the former Greenwich Time which became Lussori. Like the Cayens, Lussori co-owner Lawrence Kosick chose Carmel for its charm and quality of life. “From jeans to cocktail dress to the opera, to me that’s the whole concept of jewelry,” she says. Still, she wants her jewels worn in all settings. Celebrities have selected her vibrant sapphire and tourmaline designs for red carpet walks. Five years later, Soraya and Michael showcase their own pieces as well as designers including Paula Crevoshay and Carolyn Tyler.īefore launching her own collection, native Brazilian Soraya worked in her home country’s gem industry. Just two weeks after marrying, the couple leased what would become the Cayen Collection storefront. When Michael Cayen chose a wedding gift for his bride, Soraya, a single jewel wasn’t enough. And, in every case, their stories are as remarkable as their specialties. They polished their skills as far away as Turkey, Brazil and Argentina yet, when it was time to set up a showroom, all chose this inspirational oceanfront community.Ĭarmel’s stylish scene includes jewelry designers, estate traders and merchants of the finest brands. They make red-carpet celebrities shimmer, and they bring new fiancées and long-time sweethearts, alike, to tears. They’ve traveled the world, searching for a specific diamond or an exceptional Rolex. Ask Carmel area jewelers about their craft, and their eyes sparkle as brilliantly as their gemstones.
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