Archive for February 15th, 2006
Fleur de Lis Jewelry Hot Item
Brooke Erickson
February 14, 2006, 6:33 PM CST
METAIRIE — It’s Valentine’s day and there’s a new trend in the making.
Around New Orleans, heart-shaped jewelry is out.
Fleur de lis jewelry is in.
It’s always been a staple in New Orleans.
It represents this city.
But now, anything fleur de lis, won’t stay on shelves very long.
Today more than ever.
Had it not been for this lover’s holiday, you’d be lucky to find anything fleur de lis on the shelves.
But the owners at Sue’s Jewelry off Metairie Road had a feeling, it might be a hot item for Valentine’s day, so they stocked up. “Because of Hurricane Katrina of course, it’s representing our city, people want to make sure they’re showing representation,” said one of the store’s owners, Melissa Bonano.
Ever since the storm, Bonano says, she can’t keep the symbolic piece on the shelves.
Saying it makes up 80-85% of her sales. “I get in 100 bracelets at a time or more, and I sell them in a day,” Bonano said.
But it’s not just at Sue’s Jewelry.
It’s stores all over town.
Mignon Faget thought she’d have to file for bankruptcy after the storm.
She says it’s the fleur de lis that saved her 3 businesses.
She says sales have more than doubled in the last five and a half months. “I’ve sold a large number of Fleur de lis’, people are kinda wearing it as a badge of honor to show that New Orleans is here to stay,” said Faget. “I have my own, I wear a different one almost every day,” said Bonano in agreement with Faget.
There’s also a jeweler on the Northshore who can’t keep her post-katrina creation in stock.
Her name is Anne Dale.
She makes pendants that say, ‘I know what it means to love New Orleans,’ in a crescent.
It has a fleur de lis inside of the heart.
Since it’s inception in October, Dale says she’s sold more than 22,000 of them and the requests keep coming in. “People say I want the hurricane Katrina pin, or the HK pendant because that piece represents the disaster,” said Bonano, who sells the Dale pieces.
You can find some of those Anne Dale pieces in certain hospitals and stores here on the south shore.
She just came out with a ring that will be exclusive to her north shore store in Mandeville.
It says, ‘return to New Orleans, Louisiana.’
She wants to get the message out, not only to locals, but tourists too, to return to our city.
For more information on her jewelry, check out her two websites.
http://www.annedale.com or
http://www.iknowwhatitmeans.com
100% of the proceeds from Dales’ “I know what it means” pendant and pins go to charity.
February 15th, 2006
Evans retires, sells jewelry store, prepares to travel
Clayton News-Star
By MARGARET RITCHIE
Editor,February 15, 2006
For more than 10 years, Wilbert D. Evans traveled the roads of North and South Carolina putting on jewelry shows for large discount stores before settling down to his own jewelry store in Smithfield in 1989.
Now, Evans is ready to travel again – he’s going to be driving a 40-foot recreational travel vehicle while he and his wife, Nelda, tour the East Coast, from Florida to Rhode Island over the next year.
Evans, who opened Evans Jewelers at 236 E. Main St. here in 1991, retired last week, selling his well-established store to Edward W. Austermuehle and his wife, Debbie.
Main Street Jewelers will keep the current employees, with Connie Hicks as store manager.
Evans, who will be 70 in June, said that he’d been thinking about retirement for several years, but it took a heart attack back in September to convince him. “My doctor told me I had to,†he said.
“We’re going to travel,†Evan said, displaying photos of the spiffy spiffy new RV he has purchased. “First we’re going to Disney World. While it’s cold (here), we’re going to Florida.â€
They plan to travel down the coast on U.S. 117, stopping in Charleston, S.C., and Savannah, Ga., on the way.
His wife said that when it gets warmer, they’ll head up the coast, to Amish Country and to Providence, R.I. Their dog, Penny, a Dachshund, will be riding along.
“We want to go to Colorado, too,†she said. “But that’ll be later.â€
Both are natives of Johnston County – Evans grew up on a farm about four miles out Little Creek Church Road, and his wife is from Smithfield.
She said, “We’re looking forward to spending time together. We’re together here (at the store), but it’s not the same.†She retired from Carolina Power and Light Co. about five years ago and has been helping out at the store since then.
Evans, who has been working since 1957, started out with the A&P Tea Co., and after taking some business courses, had progressed into management training by 1968. He was going to be a store manager.
Then he met a man selling cookware, and he decided for a change.
“I became a pretty good cook,†he said, since he had to prepare a meal for clients to convince them to purchase the cookware.
Before long, Evans saw a jewelry show and had a conversation with the man in charge. “It was a small company, and they needed a salesman, so I signed on,†he said.
For the next 10 years, he traveled North and South Carolina, selling jewelry to big discount stores in both states.
Then he opened his own jewelry store in Smithfield in 1989.
“But my heart was here in Clayton,†he said. “So in 1991, I sold the store there and moved to Clayton. I bought this building from Dot Parker – it used to be part of the dime store.â€
He is sincere in his love for the town. “I want my children and grandchildren to be able to walk the streets here like I did,†he said. “It’s a wonderful place to live.â€
Main Street was the only U.S. 70 when he was growing up. “This out here was 70 highway,†he said.
Evans Jewelers has been open here since Sept. 11, 1991, serving a customer base of about 5,000 with “quality service and exceptional products.†They also do jewelry and watch repairs on site.
Last year, Evans was named to the National Who’s Who in Executives and Professionals.
But now it’s time for him to travel for pleasure, not business.
“I’ll miss it,†he said. “But people will keep coming (to the store). I appreciate the support of the people in Clayton. I’ve given them support, too.â€
He is proud of his professional sales career and credits his success to “hard work.â€
While the couple won’t be as easily available on Main Street from now own, the Evanses will be around – they’re keeping their house here. They are members of First Baptist Church, where he has served as a Deacon.
They will spend more time with the 10 grandchildren, too. Their daughter, Freida, lives in Boone with her five children; Daniel Jr. lives in Smithfield with his two boys; and daughter Anita lives near Sarasota, Fla., with her three children.
February 15th, 2006
Jewelry Store Hosts Weddings On Valentine’s Day
Owners Of Albert’s Were Also Married On Feb. 14
CBS 2 ChicagoÂ
(CBS) SCHERERVILLE, Ind. With love in the air on this Valentine’s Day, an Indiana jewelry store became a one-stop-shop for romance.
CBS 2’s Northwest Indiana Bureau Chief Pamela Jones shows us how couples could do more than merely pick out wedding rings.
This Valentine’s Day, taking that stroll down the aisle was just as simple as visiting Albert’s Jewelers in Schererville, Ind.
“It’s a little shocking,†said one woman.
“I’m just absolutely speechless,†said another.
Twenty-seven couples lines up to get married, and eight more had their vows renewed.
Melinda and Rick Stricklin wanted a taste of pizzazz, but didn’t want to overdo it.
“I didn’t want a big wedding,†Melinda said.
Paul and Jennifer Robertson have been dating for the past six years, but just decided to tie the knot here just the day before.
“The first thing she said was, I don’t have a thing to wear,†Paul said.
This jeweler has plenty to offer in that department, but the couples didn’t have to buy their rings at Albert’s to get in on the wedding deal
Albert’s owner Fred Halpern and his wife, Donna, are celebrating 38 years of marital bliss. They too were married on Valentine’s Day.
“On their 30th wedding anniversary, a judge friend of theirs said why don’t you renew your vows in the store and anybody who wants to share your anniversary, I’ll marry them, too. So my parents got remarried on their 30th anniversary,†Joshua Halpern said.
The weddings were so popular, six couples had to be turned away Tuesday.
They’ve been doing this for several years, and several local businesses are pitching in as well, providing free wedding videos, pictures, champagne and gifts.
February 15th, 2006
