a Cedar Grove jeweler specializes in one-of-a-kind, custom-made pieces

by Jessica Jones-Gorman • Photos By Robert Nuzzie

When Yanina Fleysher was just 15 years old, she took a job at the Union Flea Market, managing a small retail booth, where she immediately fell in love with the sparkle and shine of the jewelry business.

“She has always had an eye for style,” noted Alex Fleysher, Yanina’s brother and business partner. “She loved working with jewelry and would create her own pieces that were completely unique and one-of-a-kind. When she was in college, she spotted a sign for a Jewelry Exchange, which was opening in Wayne near the Willowbrook Mall. She came home and told my parents, ‘This is what I want to do.’ She was only 18 years old and negotiated a contract for the booth. She was very savvy and almost immediately began building her brand.”

That was in 1987, when Yanina and her mother, Claudia, procured several jewelry brands and worked closely with manufacturers to design exclusive pieces for their store.

“We were always a little different than everyone else,” Alex said, referring to the store’s custom-design practices, which have been in place since the original shop opened. “Yanina put a special flair on every piece she touched, and people just gravitated towards it.”

The company grew rapidly, and within three years, the Fleysher family opened a larger location, in Cedar Grove. Instead of filling the showcases with conventional designer pieces, they decided to design and manufacture almost every one in-house.

“We design things directly for the customer, first by sketching and then designing with 3-D software,” noted Alex, who joined the family business in 1996 after graduating from college. “During the process, customers have complete control over how their piece looks and can make tweaks with every image we send. Last summer, for example, a customer came in searching for a very particular diamond watch. She had shopped Harry Winston and several other high-end brands, but all she was finding were very thin watches when she wanted something that resembled a bracelet. I designed something for her, modifying it according to her requests, and built a very unusual timepiece that looked like a waterfall. She was thrilled because she finally found exactly what she wanted.”

The store itself has undergone several updates since its 1990 debut. The most recent renovation re-created it, essentially, with an organic layout designed without barriers so that customers are free to roam and able to easily view the inventory.

“In addition to our custom, made-to-order work, we also stock a range of exclusive items that only we design,” Alex said. “In most cases, we only make a handful of each style, so our customers know they’re getting something that’s available in one place only.”

And their client list is impressive. Yanina & Co. teamed up with Caroline Manzo to create the Unbreakable Bond Bracelet featured on The Real Housewives of New Jersey, and regular customers include Kim Kardashian, Melissa Gorga, Jonathan Cheban, and Simon Huck. The Russian-born Fleysher siblings have also amassed an international clientele.

“We have access to things that people can’t find in a regular jewelry store,” Alex said. “And that’s exactly why we made a conscious decision early on not to bring in any brands. When you’re dealing with a line, you are beholden to that brand. You have to charge a certain price; you cannot adapt their pieces in any way, and every other jeweler out there can market the same item as you. By making our own, we can control the quality and the price.”

“Our mother has retired, but she still comes in to visit the store. This business truly is a family affair.”

Yanina & Co. opened another location three years ago in Basking Ridge, which is also family-operated. “Our mother has since retired, but she still comes in to visit the store,” Alex said. “This business truly is a family affair.”

“We currently do a lot of earrings here,” said Alex. “And we’re seeing lot of women wearing layered necklaces, whether white, yellow, or rose gold. For men there are a lot of black diamonds, and in the past five years, men’s jewelry has gone to a completely different level. It’s not just rappers and billionaires who wear jewelry—it’s now your everyday man who’s rocking some unusual cuff links or a skull bracelet. For the first time in a long time, the popularity of men’s pieces is really rising.”

Alex said the company is also doing a big business in jewelry remodeling. “We’ll take a 10-year-old engagement ring and make it new again,” he said. “Using your diamond, we remake the setting, and the buyer can view every step of the process with our 3-D renderings.”

For Alex, it’s very gratifying work. “This is like breathing for me and my sister,” he concluded. “My father owned a jewelry repair shop when we were just kids, so we’ve literally been around jewelry our entire lives. But creating a piece for a customer who has been searching far and wide for that one particular style is definitely the most rewarding part of this job. To see the joy in that person’s eyes when you have created something so precious is just priceless.”

Yanina & Co.
451 Pompton Avenue Cedar Grove
973.857.5544 / yanina-co.com