By Nancy Brumback, Contributing Writer
Hopkinton – Does your jewelry box hold pieces you never wear anymore?
Consider using those stones and metals to create new and updated jewelry you'sl enjoy wearing, Stephanie Goldberg, owner of Stephanie G Jewelers, recommended.
Stephanie specializes in custom jewelry design and in redesign using the elements from existing pieces.
Her store, in downtown Hopkinton, also offers fun fashion pieces starting at $10 all the way up to diamonds and fine jewelry.
Stephanie is the fourth generation of her family in the jewelry business, and her father, Ron Goldberg, works with her in the store. “He has a tremendous background in watches and fine jewelry,” she said.
She holds degrees from the Gemological Institute of America, as well as from the University of Massachusetts in retailing and entrepreneurship. The store has been open for 11 years, the last seven as Stephanie G Jewelers.
“Our specialty is redesign, whether it's your grandmother's jewelry or a piece that's outdated,” Stephanie said. “With the price of metals so high, it's a shame not to use what you already have to create a piece that's more updated, perhaps more casual for everyday wear.” Sometimes, refining or scrapping the gold in a piece can help pay for a redesign using the stones.
As an example, she noted many customers are turning tennis bracelets, all the rage a decade ago, into diamond hoop earrings, stackable rings or diamond-by-the-yard necklaces, with the stones spaced on a long chain.
“I'se taken the stones from a heirloom piece and used them to make the same piece of jewelry for all the women in a family” so they each have a share of a memory.
Sometimes women choose to redo their bridal rings on a significant anniversary.
And if a divorced woman has bridal jewelry put away in a box, “I can create what I call “independence rings” with the stones,” Stephanie said.
She also does custom design work around gemstones a customer purchases.
“We sell higher-end gemstones to be designed into jewelry. My specialty is diamonds and high-end colored gemstones such as rubies, emeralds and sapphires. We have very technically advanced equipment and provide all the paperwork. People buying these higher-end gemstones should know that, at a certain price, the stones should come with independent paperwork certifying their quality,” she said.
“Over the past 20 years, I have learned a lot about design from repairing jewelry. I know what works and what doesn's work, so the pieces I design are not only beautiful, but last.”
Stephanie particularly enjoys designing chunky, heavy rings, both bridal rings and fun fashion pieces. “I design a tremendous amount in silver or a combination of gold and silver and in platinum.”
She uses CAD/CAM equipment to create a design, then makes a mold in wax so the customer can see how it looks before it is cast in metal.
Aside from the custom work, Stephanie G Jewelers offers a wide range of jewelry from a variety of designers.
As examples, Stephanie noted Kir, a designer based in Bali, features sterling silver and sterling with gemstones pieces starting at $30. Pandora, with its create-your-own pieces, is still popular and has added new earrings and necklaces to its collection. A local designer, Nikki Jones, offers a line accented with faceted colored gemstones starting at $30 up to about $300. At the higher end are elegant cuffed bracelets from Alwand Vahan starting at $500.
Stephanie G Jewelers also does jewelry repairs, including repairs of high-end watch brands such as Rolex, and intricate repairs of vintage pieces. The store features a Gemological Institute of America microscope on the counter to identify diamonds and colored gemstones as they are brought in and again when the customer picks up the pieces. Much of the repair work is done at the store.
Stephanie is also certified to appraise jewelry for insurance and estate purposes.
Receipts for jewelry purchased at the store or taken in for repair include a photograph and description of each piece of the customer's jewelry.
Stephanie G Jewelers is located at 77 Main St., Hopkinton. It is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday; and 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday The store is closed on Sunday and Monday.
Additional information is available on the website, www.stephaniegjewelers.com. For more information or to schedule an appointment to discuss custom design work, call 508-435-4444.
