Valle Jewelers

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Valle Jewelers is celebrating its 60th year in business today with sales, prize drawings and refreshments. There was a good number of people in the store this morning when we stopped by.

Previously: Three generations and 60 years later, Valle family business still sparkles

As a third-generation Valle working in the family business, Stephen Valle says he's really come to understand what time and jewelry mean to each other.

Valle helps many first-time customers select the perfect diamond ring, a ring that may get passed down from mother to daughter, as well provide the service needed to preserve memories for customers who bought what has become a family heirloom from Stephen's grandfather, Dominic Valle.

"I see the sentimental value of a piece of jewelry and it gives me a respect for the business, maybe one I didn’t have when I first started," Stephen said. "You might have an older lady who received an engagement ring from grandpa in 1967 or 1958 and she’s bringing in her grandson to buy a ring. Slowly and surely I've come to appreciate how long the business has been around."

Dominic Valle first opened the doors of Valle Jewelers May 3, 1951, in what was once the Carey Mansion (now torn down, but used to be across the street from City Church on East Main Street).

At one time or another, pretty much every member of the Valle family has worked in Valle Jewelers over the past 60 years, and it was the birth of a new generation of Valles that kept the family from celebrating the store's 60th anniversary in May, so they're doing it this month.

Though all of June, there is a storewide sale -- with some items discounted as much as 60 percent. But the big celebration is Saturday when store guests can register for prize drawings (no purchase necessary on many of the prizes), with refreshments thoughout the day, hot dogs and hamburgers for lunch and a live broadcast from the store by WBTA from 10 a.m. to noon.

"I think most importantly the anniversary is a tribute to my father-in-law and my family and how a family can survive through difficult financial times," Mary Valle said. "We’ve been so blessed, but it’s because of the community. We’ve been trusted and patronized by customers and friends."

Mary's husband Dom Valle, Dominic's son, said his dad, who passed away in 2005, was probably attracted to the jewelry business because he always liked the finer things in life. As a soldier stationed in Cairo during World War II, while his comrades sent home war souvenirs, Dominic Valle was buying things like Persian rugs and sending them back to Batavia.

"We still have a few of those rugs in the family," Dom said.

After the war, Dominic went to work for Reed Jewelers in Niagara Falls. A couple of years later, he returned to Batavia to work for Ways Jewelry. He then worked for local jeweler Herb Brenner about a month before deciding to open his own store.

The store has been in several locations through the years -- 90 E. Main St., 122 E. Main St., the Genesee Country Mall and starting in 2000, its current location at 19 Jackson St., Batavia.

At each step of the way, the business has grown, Dom said.

"For as much as a white elephant the mall turned out to be, our business did really good there," Dom said. "The mall has always had its drawbacks from day one to the present. But strangely enough, our business improved every year we were there. Not by leaps and bounds, but we were blessed to say that we had even just a little increase every year."

In 1999, when the building on Jackson Street came up at auction, the Valles decided to put in a bid, and it was a good thing they got the building at a good price, Dom said, because they've put "a ton of money" into its restoration.

But it's proven to be a good business move, Dom said, and Valle Jewelers has continued to prosper on Jackson Street.

"There was nothing pushing us out of the mall," Dom said. "We just wanted a change of scenery."

With the move to Jackson Street, Mary Valle, who had a 26-year career as a registered nurse, started working in the store.

In 2003, Stephen Valle decided to enter the business. Like his father, he went to school to learn goldsmithing and diamond setting, and to become a GIA certified diamond grader. He then returned to assume a spot on the repair bench right next to Dom.

"My father got to see the third genration come in and that made him happy," Dom said. "Futurewise, what I would hope for Stephen is that some day he'll have a son and a fourth generation will go into the business. That would be pretty nice."

Like father like son -- both Dom and Stephen were attracted to the business because they were around it and saw what their fathers' did.

For Dom, it was coming in after school and helping out by sweeping the floor or cleaning windows.

But when his father needed heart surgery when he was in eighth grade, it was really impressed upon him that Valles was a whole family business. While Dominic recovered, Dom's sisters pitched in and his uncle ran the store.

As he grew older, there was just no question Dom would follow Dominic into the jewelry trade.

"I've always been happy to be in the business," Dom said.

Even though it hasn't always been easy -- especially with the long hours required in retail and the demands of raising a family -- Dom said, he found a way to make it work.

"I always say I broke the cardinal rule of retailing to take Saturdays off to go to Stephen's hockey games," Dom said. "I always said I wasn’t going to let these times pass me by, so I didn’t work on Saturdays."

Over the years, Stephen has worked with aunts, cousins and sisters. And with each family member getting a say in how the business is run, there isn't always total agreement, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

"At end of the day, we have lot of family and sometimes it’s a little too many chiefs, but we all have the same goal," Stephen said. "We may not always see things the same way every day, but at the end of every month it seems to work out."

The future of the business is in the hands of Stephan and his sister, Carrie Lawrence, and Mary feels pretty good about that.

“I actually feel that he is capable of taking it to even a higher level than we have,” Mary said. “I believe that his motivation and passion, and with the help of his sister, with her business background, her good taste, organization skills and leadership, the two of them can make it even a better place than it’s been through all of these years.” 

Photos of Stephen Valle working at the bench by Howard Owens. Bottom photo submitted by Valle Jewelers. Pictured are Carrie Lawrence, left, staff member Adam Luckenbach, Mary Valle, Dom Valle Jr., office manager Mary Louise Fridmann and Stephen Valle.

In spring and summer, well-crafted jewlery can really sparkle, so now is a great time to create something special for yourself or a loved one.

A world of dazzling possibilities beckons at Valle Jewelers this week during its semi-annual remounting and custom-design event. It takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, April 23, and from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 24.

Enjoy a personal consultation with the store's own custom-design specialist, Mark Berman of Manhattan, who will be there to help you design a special piece or re-craft something you already own. Make something old look new!

Berman will showcase his entire line of Icon Creations, with hundreds of bridal sets to choose from. Free financing is available to qualified buyers.

"He's just incredibly talented -- you tell him what you want and the next thing you know, it's on a piece of paper," Maria Valle said, noting that he uses computer-aided design software to bring ideas to life.

For happy couples who are no longer happy or a couple, Valle has some advice.

"Diamonds left over from love gone wrong are still good diamonds," she said. "You earned them. Reset them and enjoy them."

All fine jewelry needs proper care to ensure its durability and beauty for years to come. With jewelry, it's especially wise to be proactive. This would be a good time to have those gem stones sitting precariously amid your ring's worn-down prongs to be remounted or put into a stylish, new setting.

A lady at my optometrist's office admired my wedding ring one afternoon, which had been on my finger for many years.

"You ought to have a jeweler look at," she suggested.

She was right. I kept thinking "I'll get around to it, but I don't have time now," only to look down one day not long afterward to see a gaping hole where a one-carat diamond used to be.

Walk-in consultations are, as always, welcome, but people wishing to talk with Mark Berman about a design idea, can also make an appointment by calling 343-3372.

A lot of people don't realize there's much more to Valle Jewelers than jewelry. The store has a wide array of unique gift items you'll find nowhere else in the area.

If you haven't been there in awhile or have never been there, stopping by will delight and surprise you.

You'll find sparkling crystal giftware, colorful, of-the-moment art glass, affordable clocks, very cool $20 glow-in-the dark paperweights, collectibles and serving dishes, and more.

"We're a small community and when you shop here you're going to find something special -- you shouldn't be running into two or three people who are wearing the same ring," says Maria Valle.

"It's a thoughtful, conscientious approach to buying that keeps our merchandise as individual as possible."

So while an item, such a Portuguese stoneware platter, is not one of a kind per se, you are unlikely to find it at another store in the region because Valle works with dealers outside the area.

It sure makes browsing intriguing.

"We work very hard at offering something unique. When we have an exceptional piece, we don't buy it again. Rarely do stores do that. No one is going to tell you that at the mall."

Another pleasing aspect to shopping at Valle Jewelers is first-class customer service. Imagine that -- an old school, personal approach that is intended to foster a relationship between buyer and seller that lasts and grows over time.

This is a place that appreciates your business and has something for everyone, regardless of what you're looking to buy.

Maybe you're shopping for $15 gift for a teacher or your hair stylist, or you're in high school and want a pretty pair of sterling silver earrings for your girlfriend and have $25 to spend, there's something for everyone.

"It's not all about diamonds with price tags that have commas in them."

Lorenzo is an exquisite line of Argentium sterling silver jewelry with 18-karat-gold accents and semi-precious stones in vibrant colors.

The flexible combination of silver and gold is crafted into bold, fashion-forward designs. The stones display exceptional faceting in complex settings and the result is dazzling yet affordable jewelry.

"Lorenzo offers very fine quality, very current styling," Maria Valle said.

The stones are specially chosen for their rich palette and include citrine, garnet, blue topaz and peridot. Valle said the green amethyst is particularly gorgeous and the color is neutral enough to compliment whatever you're wearing.

"They've been enthusiastically received in the store," she said.

If you've always loved the clean sparkle of silver but gave up wearing it because it bothered your skin, Lorenzo is for you. The company uses a new kind of high-quality sterling silver that's tarnish resistant and is less likely to produce an allergic reaction.

Chamilia is a brand-new line of jewelry offered at Valle Jewelers in Batavia and it's creating some buzz among the clientele, says Maria Valle.

Fans of these beautiful baubles are booking private parties in the store so friends and family can ooh-and-aah at the many choices and, of course, add some to their own collection. The after-hours parties are for 15 or more guests -- and the hostess gets a special gift.

Think of Chamilia (as in chameleon) as a new kind of beaded charm bracelet - or necklace - available in sterling sliver, 14-K gold or a combination of them.

You choose the charms, either as symbolic of something special in your life or simply for color or style. Whatever you string together is sure to dazzle.

Making your own beaded jewelry is not new, of course, but Camilia has taken the idea to a new level of affordable sophistication and craftsmanship with a stunning selection of unique pieces.

Its creator, Killian Rieder, according to a brochure, was inspired to create a way for herself and all women to "hold onto friends, family memories and experiences in a meaningful way...every bracelet tells a story about the person wearing it."

Take Maria for example, who showed me the sterling silver pieces on her bracelet.

"This one is a little cake, because I like to bake cakes, this little baby shoe is because I'm a mom, these have my children's birthstones in them," she said.

It's exciting and fun to pore over the catalog and look at the jewelry in the display case. They are so detailed! Some have sparkling cubic zirconias. There are licensed Disney characters, too, like Nemo, Tinkerbell and A.A. Milne's classic Winnie-the-Pooh.

Genuine hand-blown Murano Glass from Murano, Italy, is featured in a kaleidoscopic array of bands. Some others are enameled or have colorful stones.

Here are just a few of the kinds of symbols offered: a camera, a gingerbread man, a ghost, vintage suitcase, puzzle piece, giraffe, tennis ball, football helmet, etc. There are ones that dangle, too.

Some beads aren't intended to be symbolic of anything, they're just pretty shapes and styles. There's also a variety of bead spacers, locks and connectors. In addition to bracelets and necklaces, there are drop chains (for making pendants) to choose from, and pink or gold leather.

Bracelets, which come in a variety chain lengths, start at $35, regardless of size. Bangle bracelets are also available. Silver charms start at $25.

If you'd like to get a group of friends together for a private, after-hours Chamilia party at Valle Jewelers (located at 21 Jackson St.) give them a call at 343-3372 or email at <valles@rochester.rr.com>. Hostesses get a gift!