As a 3rd generation jeweler, I deal with a great many precious materials. My grandfather taught my father, and my father taught me. They didn’t just teach me how to work with precious metals and stones, though. They taught me that what makes jewelry precious isn’t the materials or the diamonds and emeralds. No, the generations involved at Bert Levi Family Jewelers taught me that the most precious thing a piece does is to enrich the lives of people. Have you ever seen a soon-to-be bride’s face light up at the sight of an engagement ring? Have you ever been fortunate enough to know an elderly person who holds on to a ring or a necklace as a token of remembrance for a loved one lost? This is what jewelry represents. It represents the special relationships we have and the ways we commemorate them.

This is why I’m excited to help my customers to find something that truly touches them, that really represents the importance of the people involved. (For example, I can help you design a piece of jewelry that you have in your imagination by sketching it on paper. Afterwards, I will hand carve a wax prototype for you to see, touch, and hold - all at no charge and no deposit required. Other jewelers charge for this, and it’s understandable because there’s a great deal of work involved. For me, though, it’s so critical that the jewelry represents what it’s supposed to that I do it for free.) We have estate jewelry that often carries with it a rich history, and it’s always my joy to see that history carried forward to become a completely new piece of significance for somebody else!

I read a story many years ago. I think it’s a European folk tale, but while the memory of the story has remained with me, I’m afraid it’s origins are lost to me. The story tells of a peasant boy who wandered the country after his father died in a war for the King. His only memory of his father was a medal his father gave to him from a previous battle. The boy walked for many years and became a man. One day, he saw a group of robbers assaulting a young boy. Thinking of his father and what a good man he was, the peasant rushed forward to defend the boy. He was wild and powerful and he drove seven men away despite the impossible odds. He was wounded and fell unconscious. The peasant awoke in a palace to learn he had protected the Prince! He had remained unconscious for four days while the King’s personal doctors attended to his wounds. He was brought before the King, who offered him any reward he wanted to choose. Instead of great riches and lands, the peasant lifted up his father’s medal and asked that it be polished because the years of travel had left it dull, and he wanted the memories of his father to be bright. The King had it done, and since it was a folk tale, of course the peasant boy also married a princess and lived happily ever after, but the power of that memento of his father meant so much to him! It’s my sincerest hope that someday I provide a piece of jewelry or help to restore one that means as much to one of my customers.