Silica: A Treasure of One-of-a-Kind Jewelry Designs

South Main Street has become rather quiet over the past year, as many storefronts have shuttered. But tucked away along the strip is , a jewelry store filled with a virtual treasure trove of unique, handmade designs.   

Owners Jeff Behrens and Alison Flodin-Veitch feature 60 different artists at any given time. When the store opened five years ago, they started with about 25 artists but have since grown their business exponentially through word of mouth.

“Everything in the store is handmade. All the stones are real. We don’t sell costume jewelry,” Behrens said. “We do try and stay away from beads and crystals.” While a few of the jewelry designers are local artists, pieces come in from all over including Spain, Israel, Mexico and Canada.

Behrens is not just a co-owner of the store; he’s also a local artist. His passion for beach glass turned him into the field of making beach glass jewelry. He has amassed a collected of more than 23,000 pieces of beach glass and each piece of jewelry he makes is truly one of a kind. “All the beach glass is set in silver or simple drilled and it comes from all over Long Island,” he said.

Another top selling local artist is Susan Rodgers from Stony Brook. Her unique vintage postmark jewelry features postmarks from all over the world dating back to the late 1800s.

No matter what your style is, this store offers something for everyone. One artist shows off jewelry designed from casts of silver spoons. Artist Olga Ganoudis has a funky, girly style to her work.

Shoppers can find anything from one-of-a-kind wedding bands to initial pendants and rings. Artist Liz Castelli offers earthy looks and colors, while Katherine Palmer’s jewelry definitely has a ‘60s feel. Artist Ann Carol has some eye-catching colorful pieces with her enamel painted jewelry, a look that definitely appeals to the younger crowd. A husband and wife team have a jewelry line called Got Your Marbles, where you get a bag of marbles with your purchase that can be switched out to change your rings and pendants. There’s also a limited selection of gold jewelry.

Everything about the store is unique, including the display cases. Each artist has their own case, designed by Alyssa or Ali, two Silica employees who have been working there since the beginning. At first glance you may not notice the intricate and thoughtful way in which each display is arranged. Look closely and you will find broken statue pieces, shells, doorknobs, Lincoln Logs, marine life and even a pool noodle. “One person’s trash is another person’s treasure. We don’t waste anything here,” Behrens said.

“Custom work is available through most of the artists,” Alyssa said. “Most of them will make anything you want.” The diversity of the store allows many different styles to come together. The same is true for the price point, which starts at $15 and goes to about $300. All the prices are set by the artists.

Silica does trunk shows for some of the different artists throughout the year. This summer, the store is also doing Sunday Funday from noon to 4 p.m. Just stop by the store and fill out a ticket to be entered into a raffle for free jewelry. Silica also has a Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date on specials.