Johnston Jewelers
In a world quickly being overtaken by corporations of all kinds, it´s nice to know that there are still a few quality jewelers around who merely sell chains rather than belonging to one. This unassuming, family-run jeweler is a pearl among the swine. No repair job is too small for them to take on. Some shops would turn up their noses at spending a few minutes reattaching a safety chain. Others might try to convince you that your bit of costume jewelry is cheap, not worth their effort, and why don´t you look at this $500 piece they have here which is similar but so much finer than the $60 bit of crap they´re supposed to be repairing. Johnston Jewelers sympathizes and solders, with little more than a smile and a small repair bill. And they know what you want. When a friend inherited a monstrously old-fashioned piece of jewelry, she took is straight to Johnston for an extreme makeover. After an intense consultation, the jewelers managed to craft the timeless gems and metal into a design that the next generation could wear proudly. Brava.
Johnston Jewelers, 10401 Seminole Blvd., Largo, 727-393-5822.
This article appears in Sep 22-28, 2004.