Santisi & Bove first opened its doors in 1947 and over the course of 77 years has become the “family” jeweler of our patrons. As third generation owner, my clients are the children and grand-children of our original customers and therefore we are often called upon to offer expert advice and guidance with regards to the jewelry of family members who have passed. We sit with our customers and assess which pieces should be kept, which pieces should be sold and which pieces, with a little TLC, can be reimagined into new creations that can be worn and cherished for years to come.
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This beautiful disc pendant was hand made for our client from her aunts wedding band that she inherited. It had sat in her jewelry box for years. Now it is a wearable piece! To make it even more special we set her aunt’s birthstone in the center.
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So many of you know that my great uncle, Frank Santisi, opened Santisi & Bove in 1947. Frank grew up in Jamaica Plain with my great grand parents and 7 siblings. Frank's best friend was Nemo Pistone. They used to joke that they were the only two young Italian guys growing up in Jamaica Plain as it was predominantly Irish way back then. My uncle Frank made this ring - a free form "Ribbon" style ring- originally set with just two diamonds for Nemo's daughter Carol in 1979. She came into the store last week to have a bunch of jewelry repaired. We took a loose diamond out of a ring she was no longer wearing and added it to the "Ribbon Ring" that she has cherished for over 40 years!
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My client inherited this gorgeous brilliant cut diamond which was originally set in an engagement ring. She wanted to create a non-traditional statement pendant and together we worked on a few designs and came up with this stunning necklace pictured above. Like many family heirlooms, the history behind this stone is amazing! During the Great Depression, in the Bronx, NY, my client's grandfather was a pharmacist and, due to tough economic times, many folks did not have enough money for medicine. The details of the story are a tad fuzzy, but as the story goes, this generous pharmacist would give free or highly-discounted medicine to those in desperate need. As an extreme gesture of his gratitude, one recipient of her grandfather's goodwill gifted him this precious diamond as a token of thanks. Three Generations later, this diamond is still worn and cherished by this family. Jewelry is often viewed as a luxury and can be considered an extravagance. However, what else in the world holds sentiment and is cherished like fine gems and jewelry passed through generations of families. The value of that is priceless.
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We took monogrammed cufinks that had belonged to her dad and turned them into tie tacks for each of her sons. What a wonderful way to remember your grandfather and keep him close!