You don’t have to travel very far to shop for jewelry from around the world. Accents of Armory Square is a jewelry boutique with something for everyone.

Owner Bronce Bersani welcomes customers with a smile and plenty of witty jokes. The jewelry business is a family affair for Bersani. The store came about as offshoot of his family-owned jewelry store, Bersani Gallery, located around the corner. Born into the business of jewelry retail, Bersani grew up understanding the language of the industry and when the proposition to open up another location came, he was all for it. This month, Accents of Armory Square is celebrating three years at its newest location.

“The Gallery is more gold and silver jewelry,” Bersani said. “More like hip-hop flashy jewelry. But we offer a wide range of jewelry in here. There is something for everyone.”

With a walk around the showroom, each display differs from the next. At one turn you feast your eyes on glistening diamond jewelry. Another turn brings displays of rustic gold and silver cuffs and staple rings. The next, a turquoise blue Native American-inspired collection, something Accents is known for.

“Native American style jewelry is popular in the summer,” Bersani said. “It is a harder type of jewelry to find, it is nice for the summer months.”

Bersani prides himself on creating a store that has a little bit of everything. With a wide range of jewelry inspired from different parts of the world, customers can experience good quality jewelry from various origins. In fact, a display of scarves hold one made out of bamboo from Thailand — which is something you cannot always find in a small jewelry store.

Accents of Armory Square tries to a good job keeping up with trends in the accessories fashion industry. But for the most part, Bersani believes he doesn’t need to wait around for brands to create the trends because he can create them himself. The front showroom necklaces and bracelets with a rustic edge made by Bersani himself. With his parents mostly excelling in retail jewelry, Bersani taught himself how to make his own.

“At the moment, I have gotten really funky and very rustic,” Bersani said. “I learned in my free time since my parents were more into retail style. I enjoyed making them so I kind of took interest myself.”

The Armory Square location suits Bersani well, as many shoppers who stroll by storefronts are always looking for new finds. With the hustle and bustle of Armory Square being very weather dependent, the spring and summer months attract the real crowds. But, what keeps the crowds in the store is Bersani’s fair prices.

“It’s about price point in relation to the quality,” Bersani said. “I don’t like selling things to people that are overpriced. It’s all about being fair.”

Although Armory Square is known for restaurants and bars, Bersani sees a new aspect of revenue coming into “The Square” soon. The emergence of a fashion-forward culture seems to be trickling its way into the streets of downtown Syracuse. But Bersani and his jewelry were there first, and its presentation of accessories from around the world makes this store a hidden gem that is unforgettable.

Said Bersani: “Retail is coming around in the future and we are anchoring that for sure.”

Published on May 1, 2017 at 11:09 pm

Contact Annie: aczeina@syr.edu