Women-owned jewelry showroom opens, replacing longtime Old Sacramento jeweler
A new women-owned jewelry showroom has opened in Old Sacramento, featuring ethically sourced and handcrafted pieces, according to its owners.
Operating on 935 Front St. in Old Sacramento’s historic Tehama Building, K&S Jewelers, LLC. opened this month. Owned by Katy Jayne and Susan Rabinovitz of Little Relic, the business will be replacing Skalet Family Jewelers, which closed last year, after 33 years.
The parent company of K&S Jewelers is Little Relics, a jeweler on 1111 24th St. in midtown, which is owned by Rabinovitz. Jayne and Rabinovitz are both classified master bench jewelers, Jayne said, meaning the two have reached the highest level of professional jeweler, according to the Jewelers of America.
K&S Jewelers will spotlight pieces made at Little Relics, which is also a working studio, Rabinovitz said. The studio is “homey and cozy,” she explained, with many of its pieces is high-end.
“We needed a showroom that gave these pieces the respect that they needed,” Rabinovitz said. “...it’s always been a dream of mine to have a kiosk or something in the Old Sacramento.”
For Rabinovitz, jewelry is a passion rooted in her childhood. She said she’s been working with her hands since she was a kid, making little bracelets and wire-wrapped pieces. It’s an art form she practiced throughout college. She earned her bench jewelers certification in the 2000s, did her master’s at the Revere Academy in San Francisco and has been making jewelry for 20 years.
Jayne said she first “fell in love” with jewelry in her 30s. As a self-described “lifelong creative,” Jayne has spent her life surrounded by the arts, she said, whether it is fiber art or dancing. Now 40, Jayne crafts pieces and also does jewelry repair.
“I realized (jewelry making) was a real blend of everything that I had been doing before, in terms of problem solving and creation,” Jayne said. “I found a medium that really was inspiring.”
K&S Jewelers wouldn’t be possible without Howard Skalet, who owned Skalet Family Jewelers, Jayne said. Skalet handed over the reins to Rabinovitz and Jayne. She said the two are humbled and deeply honored by Skalet’s clients, who attended the business’s grand opening.
“The only reason why K&S Jewelers is actually able to do this is because Howard passed the torch to us,” Jayne said. “We are super grateful to have that opportunity.”
K&S Jewelers will have seasonal hours, Rabinovitz said. For now, the showroom will be open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
