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How one king’s county mall/bay ridge family business has survived in the breakneck-paced jewelry game for more than 40 years?

By Jessica Jones-Gorman • Photos by Marc Estrella

When Malsons Jewelers first opened its doors 44 years ago in the Kings Plaza Mall, the store’s main objective was simple: provide Brooklyn shoppers with the best brands of jewelry available.

“We love finding the best pieces and lines, investing in them, and curating a selection of beautiful fine jewelry that customers cannot obtain anywhere else,” noted Malsons parter Morris Esses.

Originally founded by jewelry merchant Jack Bibi in 1970, the store is now operated by Esses and Bibi’s son Reuben. Their goal in developing the store has been to continue Bibi’s trendsetting mission.

“Jack had a savvy eye for picking up on trends,” Esses said. “He trained his son and me to continue in that tradition, and we have become a family jeweler that serves multiple generations: grandparents, parents, and now their children.”

Clients have remained so devoted, in fact, that the store expanded to Bay Ridge 12 years ago.

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“The customer response was fabulous; we immediately built a strong following in the Bay Ridge area,” Esses said about Malsons 86th Street location. “So about two-and-a-half years ago, we moved to an even larger space down the block.”

That two-story location—comprised of about 2,500 square feet of selling space and situated among a row of Century 21 stores—features a strong focus on bridal (engagement rings and bands occupy a large part of the store’s inventory) and other name brand pieces, a point the partner was quick to emphasize.

“Our area of real strength is the brands we are able to bring to the Bay Ridge area,” Esses said. “Gucci, Raymond Weil, Michele, Tissot, Michael Kors, and Movado: We believe in having affordable luxury, too—things that the everyday person can afford and all of our brands really fit under that umbrella.”

Both Esses and Bibi travel to jewelry shows throughout the world to obtain the best new looks for their shops: Basil, Switzerland, Las Vegas, Miami, and Chicago are among their stops each year.

“We meet with the designers and obtain exclusive relationships with many of our lines,” Esses said, citing makers like Konstantino, a Greek handcrafted artisan line that resonates with the jeweler’s large Greek following.

“Our Kings Plaza shop was one of the first to offer Pandora charms, to offer another example, and we helped introduce Alex and Ani to many new customers,” Esses added. “We’re currently excited about brands like Alessi and Meira T, which we feel will be some of the market’s next biggest trends.”

And according to the partner, there are plenty of current trends worthy of attention.

“Rose and even yellow gold has seen a tremendous upswing in the past few seasons, and anything stackable that customers can put together themselves is a big trend,” he said. “Those types of coordinating pieces and the layered look—three or four necklaces worn at different lengths—will be big sellers this holiday season,” adding that the store also features several jewelers on site who can bring any design to fruition.

Both staff and owners remain dedicated to the community in which they serve.

“We’re very involved in charitable giving, donating our time and raising funds for several causes,” Esses said.

The Make-a-Wish Foundation, Lutheran Hospital, as well as a number of public and private schools in the community have benefitted from the store’s generosity. The store also features products from The Giving Keys collection; its mission is to employ those transitioning out of homelessness in Los Angeles to make necklaces and other jewelry out of repurposed keys, and to help raise awareness of the plight of underserved people in general.

For Esses and his partner, it’s all part of giving back to the community in which they live and work.

“In so many cases we have become part of our client’s extended family,”

“We meet with designers and obtain
exclusive relationships with many of
our lines,” Esses said, citing makers
like Konstantino, a Greek handcrafted
artisan line that resonates with the
jeweler’s large Greek following.

Esses concluded. “Having a relationship with a jeweler is much different than just going into a store and buying a piece. We’re in the business of making people happy. We create family heirlooms passed on from generation to generation. We pride ourselves on not just being another jewelry merchant and I think that makes a big difference.”

Malsons Jewelers
464 86th St. / 718.491.6666
5144 Kings Plaza Mall / 718.253.6236
malsonsjewelers.com