Von Bargen’s opens Stowe store

With three other stores in Vermont — in Burlington, Springfield and Stratton, plus Hanover, N.H. — it seemed a no-brainer that Von Bargen’s would eventually set up shop in Stowe.

Last year, the company bought a small yellow building next to the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum. This spring, the building was torn down and replaced with a new storefront. It opened last week.

Von Bargen’s was founded by John Von Bargen and wife Leslie Bibens in Springfield in 1978. The company offers its own high-end jewelry, crafted at its Springfield location, as well as artisan jewelry by national designers.

Jason Thom and Julie Von Bargen Thom, daughter of John Von Bargen, own the Stowe store.

The Thoms were looking to expand their business and were drawn to the numerous artisans and entrepreneurs in town and to Stowe’s reputation as a close-knit, year-round community as well as a popular tourism destination, according to store manager Jill Zborovancik.

“They really felt strongly about the community,” Zborovancik said.

Roxanne Prescott, who manages the Stratton store and is helping to launch the Stowe store, says forming meaningful relationships with customers who trust Von Bargen’s to provide high-quality products that they won’t find elsewhere has been key to the business’s success.

“We sell fewer, better things,” Prescott said. “Heavyweight, well-crafted pieces you can pass down to the next generation.”

The staff members at Von Bargen’s say they enjoy helping customers find jewelry that matches their taste and lifestyle. They’ll also customize jewelry, work with their artisan designers to create one-of-a-kind pieces, and rearrange family heirloom jewelry into new settings to give it a more contemporary look.

“I love that part of it,” Zborovancik said. “We’re here to match the jewelry to the person.”

Growing up, Zborovancik remembers how her father would work a second job so that he could give her mother a special piece of jewelry every Christmas. Now, she looks forward to helping her customers bring the same delight to their loved ones.

“I want to give that back to others,” she said.

The store’s jewelry sells for between $50 and $75,000.

While much of the jewelry is made from traditional 18-karat gold, platinum or silver, some artisans employ less common precious metals, including blackened cobalt chrome and palladium, a rare and lustrous silver-white metal.

Perusing the display cases is akin to touring a fine art gallery. Take Paul Morelli’s diamond necklaces and bracelets. Suspended on delicate wire and hung at different heights so they sparkle from every angle, the diamonds resemble delicate stars.

Or Todd Reed’s edgy, industrial-inspired pieces, created from hand-forged metal that’s painstakingly hammered and fabricated, sometimes with the addition of raw diamond cubes.

Von Bargen’s specializes in diamond engagement rings. The diamonds are particularly brilliant because they are cut to exact proportions, causing each facet to reflect as much light as possible, Zborovancik said.

“Lights thump everything,” Zborovancik said. “If you’re in a dimly lit restaurant, it’s still going to sparkle.”

Even the accent diamonds surrounding the main stone are fully cut with 58 facets apiece to offer optimum brilliance.

Each diamond sold by Von Bargen’s is certified by the Gemological Institute of America and the American Gem Society.

For customers who desire something unique, there are colored diamonds, unfaceted “raw” diamonds, and gemstones such as sapphires that can be substituted for a traditional diamond or added to a diamond setting.

Zborovancik and her staff will even help hapless suitors come up with a creative way to pop the question.

In addition to jewelry sales, the store will offer jewelry repairs and host occasional trunk shows where customers can meet its artisans and see their full lines of jewelry. It plans to hold its grand opening celebration Feb. 20.

Von Bargen’s Jewelry is at 35 S. Main St., Stowe; phone 253-2942.