New storefront, old pieces: Yamron Jewelers
Yamron Jewelers in Naples, Florida, originally sold designer jewelry, high-end watches, and estate pieces under one roof, but it expanded its estate offering in 2020 by opening sister store La Maison Yamron.
“It was primarily driven by space considerations,” relates president and CEO Benji Kendall. “Our collection of estate jewelry is extensive, and we wanted to showcase it properly. By creating a separate store, we could dedicate a venue exclusively to vintage, signed jewelry and secondhand luxury jewels, allowing us to expand the collection and offer a more tailored experience for clients seeking these one-of-a-kind pieces.”
La Maison Yamron’s wares are a mix of Art Deco jewels, signed 1960s pieces from names like Bulgari, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Cartier, and high-end pre-owned items from the ’80s onward by renowned brands like Graff, Harry Winston, and the three aforementioned houses.
“These more recent pre-owned pieces can be part of current collections or [may have been] recently discontinued, making them highly sought-after,” he says. “They attract collectors who appreciate both contemporary designs and hard-to-find treasures from recent years.”
One of the standout pieces he has sold is a custom-made Bulgari sapphire suite from the 1960s. “We’ve also been fortunate to handle remarkable pieces from Harry Winston, showcasing the timeless elegance and craftsmanship of this iconic brand,” he adds.
Kendall acquires many of the signed pieces and specific brands directly from the public. “Naples is home to a discerning clientele of collectors and connoisseurs of fine jewelry, providing us with the opportunity to curate exceptional items. Through our exclusive program, customers can sell, trade, or purchase exquisite pieces.”
He also has connections with high-end dealers, whom he trusts to find the right estate goods for his customers’ tastes and his store’s aesthetic.
Pivoting to estate-only: Krombholz Jewelers
Lee Krombholz previously specialized in designer and custom jewelry alongside a selection of antique and vintage pieces. But this past September, the fourth-generation owner of Krombholz Jewelers in Cincinnati, Ohio, transitioned to carrying only estate jewelry.
“Gold prices continue to soar, and lab-grown seems to be where a large portion of the diamond market is going,” he says, adding that he’s “not a fan” of the latter trend. “I have found that I can get better-quality fine jewelry at more reasonable prices when purchasing antique and vintage. Over the past 15 years, our estate department has accounted for a third of our business and has continued to be our best-performing category.” Additionally, Krombholz’s daughter Izzi, a big fan of jewelry from eras past, is now taking over a portion of the business.
The eras that do best at Krombholz are the sturdier Victorian pieces from the Grand Period, which includes archeological-revival and Grand Tour items. The store has also begun buying more bold gold jewelry from the 1970s and ’80s, which the elder Krombholz explains is “easy-maintenance for everyday wear.” Charms make up a substantial part of his business as well, especially from the ’40s and ’50s. Meanwhile, “Edwardian and Art Deco rings are a draw for engagement rings and always have been,” he says.
Another area of interest is conversion pieces. “My daughter is a bench jeweler and is taking pieces such as stick pins and small brooches, as well as beautiful old stones that aren’t being worn in the original condition, and reworking them into pieces for the contemporary woman.”
Krombholz obtains his merchandise from customer trade-ins, as well as fairs and dealers he has known for years.
Focusing on bridal: Tiny Jewel Box
Jim Rosenheim inherited Tiny Jewel Box from his parents, who opened it in Washington, DC, in 1944 as an antique-jewelry store. Working there as a young boy, Rosenheim learned all about treasures from the past. He took over the shop in 1972, and by 1996, he and his son Matthew were selling international designers as well as high-end watches and every category of modern jewelry. The Rosenheims’ uncanny ability to foresee their clients’ desires and spot up-and-coming creators helped launch many contemporary designers’ careers while still keeping the shop’s original specialty: antique and vintage jewelry.
The Rosenheims have changed with the times for over 85 years. When the two noticed a shift after the pandemic toward easy-to-wear looks that suited a more relaxed lifestyle, they switched gears, culling their estate offering to emphasize antique and vintage engagement rings. They also played up their own custom line of bridal jewelry, inspired by details and settings from late-Victorian through Art Deco-era rings. In the estate-jewelry department, “[vintage] bridal is selling better than any other category,” reports the elder Rosenheim.
Design-wise, “we still pepper the store with less-dressy antique pieces that are more in keeping with today’s lifestyle,” he says. “But our main antique and vintage sales are in Edwardian and Art Deco rings — when we can find them in pristine condition — and simplified designs such as three-stone rings, lower-profile solitaires with interesting galleries or shanks, and five-stone rings, all with the character and personality that old-cut diamonds lend.”
Rosenheim acquires these pieces through long-term relationships with dealers and trade fairs. “But there is a challenge finding these antique and vintage styles that check all the boxes of what our clients are looking for when they are getting engaged. This is why we launched our own collection to create exclusive rings with elements of antique and vintage, which we can make to our customer’s specifications as far as diamond cuts, color, clarity and settings.”
Main image: from left: Benji Kendall, Lee Krombholz, and Jim Rosenheim. (Yamron Jewelers; Krombholz Jewelers; Tiny Jewel Box)
