Cazenovia Jewelry co-owner Susan Machamer has decided to leave the business she helped create 28 years ago in order to focus on her personal jewelry line. She recently sold her share of the business to partner Ralph Monforte, who will become the sole owner.
The adjustment in ownership will not change any aspect of the Cazenovia-based business, which has been in its current location at 49 Albany St. since it opened in 1985, other than Machamer’s absence from the store and Monforte’s more frequent presence at the store, they both said. Monforte currently manages the Cazenovia Jewelry location in Fayetteville Town Center.
“It will be kind of business as usual,” Machamer said. “We have two very qualified people, previous managers at our other locations, and they’ll be here.”
Machamer is not leaving Cazenovia or even the local business community, but will be based out of her private studio. She will pursue her own line of artistic jewelry, for which she specializes in unusual gems stones and sterling silver and gold, and will seek to sell her work in various galleries, she said. She will also continue teaching her craft at Cazenovia College, where she teaches a studio art class in “small metals and jewelry fabrication” and currently runs a “special topics” class in entrepreneurial strategies to market one’s artwork.
“It will be nice to have some time to spend on these areas,” Machamer said. “I look forward to being out in the community instead of inside [the store] looking out.”
For Monforte, the new business dynamic will entail more of his time spent at the Cazenovia store location. He said will be there more often during each week, but definitely every Wednesday, which will also be the only day the store will look at used jewelry for purchase, he said.
“I look forward to spending more time on Albany Street and becoming more active in the historic business district,” he said. “We look forward to being a part of the Cazenovia community for a long time.”
For more information on Cazenovia Jewelry, visit cazjewelry.com. Susan Machamer can be reached at Susan Machamer Jewelry Design at [email protected] or 247-9003.
Jason Emerson is editor of the Cazenovia Republican. He can be reached at [email protected].
