When Glenn Bradford looks over the display cases in his Port Washington, he sees not just a collection of jewelry but a collection of stories.
“I have my angel wing collection,” he says as he holds up a necklace with wings. “One of my clients lost a child and this was created to comfort for her.”
He picks up another necklace, this one with a dragonfly.
“I had a client whose mother passed away… and when she senses her mother’s presence, she would all of a sudden be surrounded by dragonflies,” he said. “It’s a reminder that her mom is present and it gives comfort.
Through these stories, it is obvious that Bradford has formed a close, personal bond with many of his customers.
Those connections have helped Bradford and his wife, Sharyn, grow their business to the point where they had to move into a larger space in Port Washington this year.
The couple also runs a second location in Southampton, often splitting their time between the two stores.
Bradford originally went to school to be a dentist but said he had always had an interest in fashion.
“My mother had a clothing boutique and I would go to fashion shows with her, I helped her when she shopped,” he said. “I always had a sense of style and fashion. I started collecting watches, which inspired me to start making them.”
Instead of using his dental tools on teeth, he used them to carve jewelry.
Bradford starting by creating his own watches about 30 years ago, which he then sold to stores like Saks and Nieman-Marcus.
From there he branched out into rings and necklaces, where his projects were often a reflection of his own life events. He designed his wife’s engagement ring and wedding band, an experience that led him to create a bridal collection soon after.
When his first daughter was born, it inspired him to create the “Love Collection” of lockets.
In 2001, Bradford and his wife opened their own store in Roslyn and relocated to Port Washington three years later, in a property adjacent to their current location. He said that his wife designed the layout of their new, refurbished Port location and her art hangs on the walls.
“My wife is my partner in life and business,” he said.
In addition to work inspired by his life and the lives of his clients, Bradford sells jewelry inspired by the spiritual. His Buddha collection is among the most popular and there are several paintings of the religious figure in the store.
“Buddhism has done the best job of marketing itself spiritually,” Bradford said, explaining his attraction to the religion, although he does not practice it himself.
The couple also sees their jewelry as a way to give back to the community.
The Bradfords have hosted jewelry events to support National Heart Month, the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation and the Hempstead House at the Sands Point Preserve.
Designing jewelry is the most rewarding part of his job, Bradford said, because it gives him a creative outlet and believes it can make a difference in the lives of his clients.
But as his operation continues to grow, he has been forced to commit more to the business side of things, which he said was the most challenging part of his job.
“There are challenges to growing your business, and we’re in a real growth mode,” he said. “My wife and I, even when we’re not in the shops, we’re working and thinking… it’s challenging to try and find quiet time to spend with my wife and our three kids.”
Bradford said he and his wife have their hands full right now operating the two existing stores. He said he was focused on growing their business online and had just redesigned the site. But he also didn’t rule out future brick-and-mortar expansion.
“Will we expand? People want us to — they ask us if we have a location in the city, so we’ll have to see,” he said with a smile. “We’ll announce it when we’re ready.”
