New jewelry store now open in Crossroads Square
A new gem has popped up on Creekside Forest Drive.
Jeffrey and Company Jewelers, a store that specializes in Victorian-era and estate jewelry, recently opened its doors for business in Crossroads Square at Creekside Park in The Woodlands.
Owner Jeffrey Anolik is a third-generation jeweler from New York. Although he grew up around jewelry making, Anolik was still young when his father died so he had to relearn the art after graduating high school.
“Unfortunately, my father died young and I resumed it [the business] years after he died,” Anolik said.
He attended school for jewelry and scouted many auctions for pieces to add to his stock before opening his own business in 1971. One of the most unique collections he owns is the Abigail’s Heirlooms, a never-been-worn Victorian-era collection from Italian-American jewelry designer Antonio Tomassi. The collection consists of 5,000 ladies rings, pendants, earrings, bracelets, chains, brooches, stickpins and more.
According to the tale behind the collection, Anolik said Tomassi had moved to America in the late 1800s and opened a shop to sell his handcrafted jewelry. As the years went on, he realized that new manufacturing technology would soon find its way into the jewelry industry. In order to preserve the art and appreciation of hand worked jewelry, Tomassi began designing pieces for his future granddaughter, whom he thought would be named Abigail. However, Tomassi’s son never had children and so there was never a young girl to receive the exquisite pieces. The legend concludes that upon his deathbed, Tomassi’s son bequeathed the collection to his closest friend so that other women, other “Abigails,” would be able to enjoy it, Anolik recalled.
Anolik came across Abigail’s Heirlooms when he appraised the collection for the Rhode Island Hospital Trust National Bank. About five years after the appraisal, the trust contacted Anolik and some other jewelers seeking bids on the entire collection. He submitted the highest bid and now carries the collection for sale.
While many pieces in the store are from the romantic Victorian era, Jeffrey and Company Jewelers also carries more modern works with elegant designs. The store has a variety of gemstones for every taste including diamonds, peridot, sapphire, opal, moonstone, emerald, amethyst and more. It also offers art deco, retro, sterling silver, Native American jewelry and pieces by Georg Jensen, a Danish silversmith of the late 1800s and early 1900s who crafted intricate and high quality silver jewelry.
Andrea Holt, who has worked at Jeffrey and Company Jewelers for the past four years, said that jewelry isn’t just a business to Anolik—it’s his passion.
“He’s in the jewelry business, but he has a passion for it,” Holt said. “He can’t resist an intricate ring or something that is just a work of art. Anybody can sell the common, ordinary jewelry but not everybody can sell these heirlooms.”
Holt was in the retail business for many years before turning to jewelry. Her daughter worked for Jeffrey and Company Jewelers one summer. When she left for college the store needed extra help and Holt stepped into the position.
“I love pretty things. I love to sell things. I love to make people happy,” Holt said. “When they walk out with a smile on their face, or they come back in and say their husband chose the right present for them, it’s like—yes!”
For the past year and a half, Anolik made frequent trips to MD Anderson from his home in Connecticut for health reasons. The warmer climate and kindness of people in the Houston area eventually drew Anolik to Texas. He chose to leave his home of the past 34 years to share the beauty and quality of the jewelry with a different region of people.
“I thought that lacking in this area is the jewelry that I sell up north,” Anolik said. “I thought the potential was wonderful in The Woodlands.”
To express his gratitude to MD Anderson, Anolik is donating 10 percent of all sales in December to the hospital. “That’s how wonderful the hospital was,” he said.
Aside from selling jewelry, Jeffrey and Company Jewelers also purchases gold, gold coins and silver as well as restores jewelry and gives appraisals. Anolik can even create custom jewelry for those who want a one of a kind piece. Bring a photo or an idea and Anolik can craft a lasting treasure.
The store is located at 8522 Creekside Forest, The Woodlands, and is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Learn more about Jeffrey and Company Jewelers by visiting their website at www.JeffreyandComapnyJewelers.com or follow them on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/JeffreyandCompanyJewelers.
— Patricia Dillon is a features reporter for The Woodlands Villager. Contact her by phone at 713-362-4433 or on Twitter: @Dillon_Villager.