10 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • FEBRUARY 2021
COVER FEATURE
CHARLES KRYPELL RESTORES
After nearly a half century of crafting
fine jewelry under his eponymous
brand sold in more than 100
of the nation’s finest independent
jewelry stores, Charles Krypell recently
opened his flagship store in
Greenvale.
At the newly built 5,000-square-foot
Charles Krypell Fine Jewelry boutique,
shoppers can meet the visionary
himself on occasion while visiting
the store to see its extensive collection
of jewelry spanning many categories,
from bridal to fashion, classics and
contemporary, sterling silver to haute
couture high jewelry. The store is less
of a traditional jewelery retailer than
a highly curated retail experience. At
its lounge, fireplace, and full-service
coffee bar, guests can feel totally
comfortable and welcome to learn
about, try on, and shop the thousands
of spectacular items on display. The
pieces can be experienced, felt, and
enjoyed in a setting just as grand as
the jewelry itself, allowing guests to
engage without any feelings of intimidation,
judgement, or pretension.
“Jewelry is an interpretation of the
individual,” says Krypell, who’s lived
on the North Shore for more than 30
years. “I create generational jewelry
— something that will be revered,
something that will be a precious part
of a woman›s life, a representation
of who she is in the here and now.”
Krypell draws on his nearly five
decades of traveling the country,
making personal appearances and
meeting collectors in nearly every
state in the nation. This experience
helping hundreds of stores nationally
has helped the Krypell team
create what they feel is a near-perfect
interpretation of the modern jewelry
store. They’ve learned what works
and what does not work by witnessing
the successes and failures of some
very important retailers. The Krypell
team’s hands-on experience behind
the scenes of their 45-year-old jewelry
design and manufacturing firm
has allowed them to fine-tune their
message, product mix, and customer
interaction to a level not attainable by
the traditional jewelry store startup.
A Pratt Institute graduate who studied
sculpture, Krypell’s vision of creating
the perfect piece of jewelry that will
become a cherished heirloom is the
culmination of an American dream
for an immigrant who grew up in
Coney Island before raising his
family on Long Island. He made a
name for himself in an industry led
by multigenerational legacies. His
children and wife are now his business
partners and his employees are
all from Nassau County.
Beyond the emotional lure, the
family run business is also cognizant
of practical concerns.
The classic jewelry with a
twist is competitively priced,
paired with unparalleled
value, ranging from $75 to
more than $1 million, from
tennis bracelets to some of
the rarest jewelry, which
is one of their specialties.
Customers can even
meet with the design
staff to conceptualize
their own piece. Each
designer and brand
partner brings their
own unique expertise
and mastery to
their craft.
The designer’s
son , Evan
Krypell, the
store’s director,
says
people are
still buying
jewelry to
treat themselves and their loved ones,
despite the coronavirus pandemic-induced
economic downturn.
“We are here to become the neighborhood
jeweler,” he says. “If you don›t
know jewelry, know the jeweler. Even
though we’re new, we have a 45-yearold
history.”
The Press spoke with Charles
Krypell about the philosophy
behind his unique designs,
his inspiration, and what
sets him apart from the
competition. This conversation
has been condensed
for clarity and length.
Who is the man behind
the company? Charles
Krypell makes jewelry
that speaks to the
individual, reflects
their personality,
their passion. He
has stone and metal
working together.
Negative space creating
movement. We
believe that jewelry
is more than just stone
and metal, it is wearable
art that commemorates
lifetime achievements, special
moments, and important
relationships. We don›t sell
jewelry, we romance it. We
don’t call our customers
customers, we call them
“collectors.” We feel this is
something this area has not
had as part of its narrative.
Why did you wait until
now to open a store? From
traveling around the country I
have learned the difference between
simply selling jewelry to romancing
jewelry and applying it to the person
that’s in front of me so that the jewelry
represents their personality. After
doing this for 45 years and being extraordinarily
successful in creating
collectors, I finally decided that for
the neighborhood that I live in, which
is a wonderful neighborhood, it’s time.
How does this differ from a traditional
jewelry store? Eighty percent
of the jewelry in the store is designed
by us, made by us, and now sold by us.
We have eliminated the middleman.
We are sensitive to the fact that we are
in control of the entire process from
start to finish. The other thing that’s
different about us is that since we are
“Jewelry is an interpretation of the individual,” says
Charles Krypell. “We design generational jewelry.”
Krypell got
his start as a
sculptor.
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