Previously Featured Business:  Sarah's Vintage & Antique Jewelry

Sarah’s Vintage and Estate Jewelry pieces ‘are not run of the mill’

A stroll through Main Street in the Village of Williamsville wouldn’t be complete without a stop into Sarah’s Vintage and Estate Jewelry.
Located at 5459 Main St., at Los Robles, the shop features antique and costume pieces.
“I feel like I am the guardian of old pieces,” owner Sarah Blawat said about selling someone’s loved jewelry to a good home.
Many residents have sold their jewelry to Blawat for a variety of reasons, including owners whose families don’t want to inherit the pieces.
“I am surprised by the number brought in to sell,” she said. “A lot of very interesting jewelry came in.”
Obtaining a degree from the Gemological Institute of America in California,
Blawat said she was trained to determine the differences between stones. A graduate gemologist, Blawat has a full lab to evaluate the stones, metals and construction of the piece.
“I can determine what stones are. Before if the stone was blue it was a sapphire; red, a garnet,” she said, adding that today the equipment available helps her understand antique jewelry.

“I guarantee everything I sell for quality,” she said, noting that includes karatage and age.
As a member of the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers, Blawat is also certified to do formal insurance appraisals, state appraisals and inheritance appraisals.
Pieces are also purchased from vendors from around the country. Sarah’s Vintage and Estate Jewelry also searches for pieces requested by residents. Blawat said she keeps an ongoing list of requests and contacts the searcher when she comes across a piece.
She looks for a variety of pieces in price ranges that fit most everyone’s budgets. Blawat also seeks pieces that the younger generation would want to wear.
“My hope was to have pieces young women, like in college, can find in their price range, while their mother can find the 2-carat ring she always wanted,” she said adding that the selection can range from $16 to $16,000. “I want to bridge the generations.”
Necklaces, bracelets, earrings, pins and rings are among the selection of costume and antique jewelry, from the 1890s to 1970s, displayed in the store. Antique engagement rings with complementary wedding bands are also part of the merchandise.
“They are not your run-of-the-mill engagement rings. Some are 1920s platinum from $900 to $9,000,” Blawat said.
There is also a selection of evening bags, perfume bottles and silver flatware.
Repairs are also done in-house, including sizing, soldering, changing stones and platinum repairs.
With 22 years of experience in antique jewelry buying and selling, Blawat opened the Main Street location in August 2006. Prior to that, she had a location at Kelly’s Antique Market in Clarence for 12 years and before that was in downtown Buffalo.
She chose to set up shop in Williamsville for its centralized location and accessibility to her client base that has been mainly East Amherst, Amherst and Williamsville. The 5459 Main St., at Los Robles Rd, across from SS Peter and Paul Church, location was a fit, she said.
Blawat grew up in the antique jewelry business — both her parents worked in wholesale —and traveling the country to trade shows.
Now with her own business, Blawat has created a boutique style shop in the heart of Williamsville. Joining her are Conrad Vout, a costume jewelry specialist, and Katie Segerson, sales manager and photographer.
Sarah’s Vintage and Estate Jewelry is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, call 633-3738.

by Jessica L. Finch
Associate Editor
The Amherst Bee