Finely Crafted Jewelry At Rocky Point Jewelers

Because jewelry is so largely symbolic and can hold such personal meaning to those who give it or receive it, finding the right shop where you can choose from a range of styles and get personal, no-pressure assistance is important, according to Anne Maria Bon Giovanni at Rocky Point Jewelers in Stony Brook.

Located in the Stony Brook Village Center for 23 years, and in business for over 40 at its sister location, Rocky Point Jewelers is a family owned and operated business that offers a beautiful selection of fine jewelry, wedding and engagement rings, charms, earrings, bracelets and necklaces, as well as men’s and women’s watches.

And, Rocky Point Jewelers also carries what Bon Giovanni believes is the largest selection of vintage jewelry, which is very trendy right now.

On-premise jewelry and watch repair service is also available.

“When you are dealing with jewelry, you are dealing with people’s emotions,” Bon Giovanni said. “It’s very personal.”

Jewelry always makes a perfect gift. It helps if you know your loved ones preferences: small, delicate, bold, chunky, gold or silver. Rocky Point Jewelers carries a range of items in various price points so they’re able to work with most budgets. That said, they also carry very high-end and hard to find items as well.

Some of the shop’s designer lines include Cordova, specializing in classic bridal and fashion styles. And ArtCarved, since 1850, creating a rich tradition by combining hand-craftsmanship with a contemporary design aesthetic to create elegant and timeless engagement rings and wedding bands-classic, vintage and contemporary.

Kattan Diamonds and Jewelry offers on-trend jewelry including the La Vie en Rose pink diamond collections; and Whitehouse Brothers (since 1898) has exquisite, intricate but durable designs in platinum. A new collection by Nicole Barr features beautiful, hand-crafted enamel artistry. A selection of Tiffany Jewelry is classic and timeless, and always makes an exceptional gift.

Other designers include James Breski, Carla, Nancy B, Mercury Ring, Rembrandt Charms, LaFonn, Galatea, Elma Gil and Endless Jewelry, including the Jennifer Lopez collection. The Belle Etoile collection offers colorful and enameled styles designed to reflect the latest European fashion trends.

Men’s and women’s watches are available from Citizen, Movado, Pulsar, Bulova and Seiko, including the Grand Bulova collection.

Rocky Point Jewelers also has vintage jewelry, from Victorian and Art Deco to Art Nouveau and Renaissance Revival styles, for the person who likes antiques. The vintage jewelry is a particular passion for Bon Giovanni.

“Everything comes around again,” she said. “We get some really special things; the craftsmanship is beautiful. That’s why it’s lasted so long.”

She noted that at a time when we seem to live in a disposable society, people are looking at vintage again because of the intricacy and the history behind it.

“If they could talk, some of these pieces would have some stories to tell of the places they’ve been or maybe the parties they were worn to,” she said.

At the turn of the century, Art Deco pieces in white gold became popular and the intricacy of the design is breathtaking. True Renaissance pieces are harder to come by, but Rocky Point Jewelers carries some Renaissance Revival pieces that became popular in the mid-20th century. Early Victorian jewelry from the 1800s is often characterized by its use of diamonds and pearls, while later Victorian pieces are frequently styles with black onyx or darker red stones.

What is unique about Victorian pearl jewelry is that it typically used natural pearls, as opposed to the cultured pearls of today. The pearls, since they were naturally formed, come in all different colors and shapes, sometimes with more black, purple or even orange tint. Rocky Point Jewelers also carries the best of the best in pearl jewelry by Mikimoto.

Art Nouveau pieces of the late 1800s and early 1900s “are just gorgeous,” she said, typically evoking nature and using enamel in the shapes of flowers, leaves and trees.

Like the vintage jewelry, Bon Giovanni said that being a jeweler is an intricate craft, still largely done by hand. The shop has an excellent full-time jeweler who has been with them over 21 years. And their clock and watch repair craftsman is 87 years old. He’s been in the business his whole life.

“How many kids today grow-up and say they want to be a jeweler,” she said.

Anne Maria Bon Giovanni and her sister Linda and brother Anthony, jr., who also run the shop, got into the business through their father, Anthony Bon Giovanni. Mr. Bon Giovanni started as a coin collector; really just a hobby at first. He eventually got his license to buy and sell gold and in the 1980s as gold prices started to soar.

“He bought gold, but he didn’t just scrap all the pieces,” she said. “If he saw something was of better quality, he would save it and sell it.”

Their first little shop was a family business, and Bon Giovanni said her mother would make the jewelry displays herself by hand. The shop grew from there and Anne Maria and her siblings would work in the shop, eventually educating themselves through courses and certification with the Gemological Institute of America.

Now the shop is full-service, offering laser welding repairs, engraving, re-sizing and even re-stringing pearls. They also do clock repairs. Everything is done in-shop.

“We’re a small shop, but we carefully pick and choose what we carry,” Anne Maria said. And she said that the trust their customers have in helping choose the right piece for their loved one, and the ongoing services they offer for their other jewelry needs is so important.

“Honesty is a big part of what we offer,” she said. “That’s key.”

Rocky Point Jewelers

137 Main Street

Stony Brook, NY 11790

631-751-3751