Gems Are Found When "Cleaning Out Grandma's Attic"

John Michael’s Estate Jewelry opens daily at 10 a.m. It’s 10:05 now, and co-owner and Gemologist (yes, there is such a word) John Kearney has already helped two customers: one regarding selling an old watch, another considering purchasing a ring for her husband.

“Like any business, if you don’t have customers,” says Kearney, “you have nothing. This is a good location. Our main clientele are 40 to 70 year old women who don’t want to go to Bloomfield Avenue and a pawn shop. This is a little more comfortable atmosphere. We have a good mix of different types of personalities and a good mix of clientele.”

Kearney and his partner, Michael Waldman, specialize in buying items from jewelry to broken gold to old photos and more. “Lots of people are settling estates, downsizing, doing spring cleaning – another term is ‘cleaning out Grandma’s attic,” he says with a laugh. “A lot of baby boomers were collectors, and they had big collections of things.”

Kearney and Waldman both were teaching at the Gemological Institute of America and, after that, both worked together again at an estate jeweler in East Brunswick. In 2008 they began discussing opening their own place, and in January of 2009 made it happen on Broad Street. “Our feeling was why do it for someone else when we can do our own thing.” Their homey shop contains a variety of vintage items like signed baseballs by Willie Mays and Hank Aaron, old baseball cards of stars like Mickey Mantle, toys, photos, and lots of, in Kearney’s words “20s and 30s art deco jewelry that brings in a good price. Estate and antique jewelry is a much better value. There no labor fees (for making a new piece); they’re already made.” The store also buys old coins and paper money, collectibles and military items (helmets, patches, etc).

And John Michael’s Estate Jewelry does everything, not just sell jewelry. They do jewelry appraisals (“We know more then most people about stones,” claims Kearney, “and insurance companies will accept our appraisals”), repairs, watch batteries, and much more.”

Grace Toscano is a music teacher from Nutley who stops in to John Michael’s Estate Jewelry occasionally. “Old gold,” she claims she searches for when she enters. “I think they (Kearney and Waldman) are very fair.” She then reflects briefly. “I just drove by one day and saw the store.”

“A real find” one might say in the estate jewelry business. Here it applies. And no doubt John Kearney and Michael Waldman have had many carried through their front door.

“I was talking to Michael about some interesting things we have purchased,” says Kearney, “and the two main things that stick out are Victorian morning jewelry that is made out of human hair of a loved one, or an 1811 signed Napoleon Bonaparte letter.”

John Michael’s Estate Jewelry also believes in supporting the community, donating to local church and school tricky trays, in addition to supporting other local fundraisers, including a “Girls Night Out” style FUNdraiser for Rett Syndrome sponsored by neighbor Salon Gossip. The event date is September 2, 2011.

John Michael's Estate Jewelry, 1051 Broad Street, Bloomfield, (973) 338-4400, www.jmestatejewelry.com