This 87-Year-Old Connecticut Store Lets in Light in Abundance

Rumanoff’s Jewelers, Hamden, CT

OWNERS: Doug Rumanoff, Leslie Rumanoff DeStefano, and Michael Rumanoff; URL: rumanoffs.com; renovated: 2024; FOUNDED: 1938; Opened featured location: 2024; AREA: 3,600 square feet; ARCHITECT AND DESIGN FIRMS: Silver Petrucelli + Associates (building design and engineering), Artco Group (fixtures and store layout); TOP BRANDS: Tacori, Roberto Coin, Hearts on Fire, Fana, Shy Creation, Baume & Mercier, Michele, Monica Rich Kosann; EMPLOYEES: 8 full-time, 3 part-time

Doug Rumanoff, Leslie Rumanoff DeStefano, and Michael Rumanoff

THEIR DREAM STORE took a year to plan. But the business owned by Doug Rumanoff, his sister Leslie Rumanoff Stefano and their father Michael Rumanoff began 86 years before the new location of Rumanoff’s Jewelers opened its doors.

The company, originally called the J. A. Silver Co., was started by Michael’s great-uncle, Jack Silver, in 1938 as a wholesale distributorship of jewelry and giftware in New Haven, CT. Soon after launching, Silver hired his nephew, Eli Rumanoff, who eventually took over ownership of the business. Eli was later joined by his sons Michael and Steven, and together, they took the wholesale distributorship to new heights, building a 10,000 square-foot facility in Hamden in 1989. Unfortunately, that was the peak of the wholesale business, as manufacturers began selling directly to stores and J. A. Silver Co. lost both suppliers and purchasers.

The Rumanoffs, knowing they had to adjust, transitioned their business to retail in 1994. After Eli passed away in 1998, Michael and Steven decided to honor their father by changing the store name to Rumanoff’s Fine Jewelry and Design.

Michael’s children both wanted to help carry on the family legacy, and each joined the business after graduating from college — Doug in 2003 and Leslie in 2009. Doug was responsible for modernizing the business through computerization and digital technology, while Leslie brought in a new sales and marketing mentality.

In 2024, the Rumanoffs completed the new location — a three-year project — having purchased a building directly across the street from their previous space and completely renovating it.

They highlighted the move with a brand refresh and the name change to Rumanoff’s Jewelers.

A set of long tubular lights hangs inside the vestibule, and glass windows are all that separate the store owners from shoppers.

New Vision, New Digs

The new store is the spectacular conclusion of a dream that began more than a decade ago as the Rumanoffs began to realize that their previous location was too small and limited.

“We loved it for a while, but then we realized we could have used the space more efficiently and we really didn’t have the back-end office space,” says Doug Rumanoff. “Our shop was small. We only had one bathroom. We wanted to grow.”

The family discussed renovating that location, but it would have been only moderately more efficient, and the landlord wasn’t willing to contribute at all.

Fortunately, the new location across the street fell into their laps.

However, the building was unimpressive on the exterior, and on the interior featured undesired columns and headers, as well as a poor layout for a jewelry store. That said, the footprint was perfect.

So, Doug and Leslie began to imagine how they might make the building their own.

“We wanted something that would be modern and make a statement from the exterior without being unrelatable,” Doug says. “My house is white with black windows. And luckily, Leslie liked that, too. We wanted it to look almost like a modern farmhouse, yet industrial.”

The Rumanoffs told their architects that they wanted a spa-like feel. “We wanted it to be very welcoming and inviting. It was important to us to have a lot of natural light in the store and just feel really fresh,” says Doug.

As customers enter the showroom through a grand two-story entryway of glass, they encounter high ceilings and a set of large tubular lights with white oak hanging down from above to highlight the entry. To the left is the office space of the three owners, divided from the showroom only by floor-to-ceiling glass and featuring the same black mullions as the entryway to tie the store aesthetic together. Past the office space is a full bar highlighted by marble counters and fully stocked. Next to that is a coffee bar that overlooks the shop, so customers can watch the bench jewelers at work.

But the thing that catches attention immediately is the abundance of glass walls, which also allows for a naturally lit store.

“It was important to me that it was wide open with elements of modern touches,” explains Doug. “But we also wanted it to feel timeless.”

The Artco-built showcases are crafted in light natural tones. Nooks include a small lounge area as well as a private room next to the bridal area for consultations. The point-of-sale area was designed as a focal point, separated by white oak woodwork and a feature wall composed of backlit moonstone and the Rumanoff’s logo in gold.

The same attention to detail can be seen on the exterior as well, with landscaping designed to be both visually pleasing and functional.

An outdoor space will eventually double as a seating area and an entertainment space for events. And the store façade features repurposed brick from the original structure painted white, mixed with board and batten, black windows and cedar accents.

Above, the point-of-sale counter draws the eye with white oak woodwork and a backlit feature wall made of moonstone. Below, the Rumanoff’s staff poses inside the family’s dream store.

A Palpable Buzz

Rumanoff’s customers have been overwhelmingly supportive of the new space. “Everyone is like, ‘I heard about your new store, I need to stop in’ or ‘I haven’t been in yet, but I drove by and it looks amazing,’” says Doug. Sales are up 20% in 2025 as the space has attracted new customers.

Tacori has always been an anchor brand for Rumanoff’s, and it remains so, but they’ve also been able to add brands like Roberto Coin and Monica Rich Kosann. “With all of the glass, there’s just enough wall space to emphasize the store’s top brands,” says Doug.

In addition to the allure of top jewelry brands, Rumanoff’s draws clients through its staff’s friendly, no-pressure service. “We’ve always paid salary, no commissions,” says Doug. “We do reward our staff in other ways based on performance.

“Because the last thing we would want is a customer to be like, ‘You know what, I think I really should have gotten another piece. And I let the salesperson talk me into this piece.’ I’d rather clients spend less this time and tell people how happy they are and make sure they were very comfortable and want to come back and spread the word.”

Five Cool Things About Rumanoff’s Jewelers

1. MISS PEACHES’ VIRAL PENDANT. As a way of increasing engagement on social media, Leslie had the idea of sending Barstool Sports owner David Portnoy a pendant with the noseprint of his famous rescue dog, Miss Peaches. In turn, Portnoy captured his excitement of opening the gift on video and posted it to Miss Peaches’ social media pages. The post received over one million views. Rumanoff’s rushed to create a web page to accept and fulfill orders of more nose print pendants. The store donated a portion of all proceeds to local animal shelters, and Leslie and Doug were interviewed by multiple news channels with a live appearance on the local NBC affiliate.

2. A GRAND ENTRANCE. Approaching Rumanoff’s, shoppers are greeted by two stories of glass windows with black mullions and a set of doors with stylized “R” handles that match the Rumanoff’s logo. “We wanted the exterior to be very welcoming and inviting,” says Doug. “It was important to us to have a lot of natural light in the store and just feel really fresh.”

3. GLASS OFFICES. Doug, Leslie and Michael all office out of rooms with glass walls and doors, everything accented with the signature black mullions found throughout the store. The offices are divided by glass so they can all see each other and clients as they walk in. And, they can hear them exclaiming about the magnificence of the showroom. Says Doug: “It’s very rewarding to hear because of all the energy, time, money and effort we put into it to make sure that people have a positive reaction and feel when they walk in.”

4. OUTDOOR PATIO. Although not yet finished, the outdoor space will be a place for clients to relax but also for Rumanoff’s to host events like wine tastings. The area will feature tables, chairs, and speakers to pipe in music. “It’s all landscaped with vegetation, so it’s ready to go once we put the pavers in,” says Doug.

5. 87-YEAR HISTORY OF FAMILY. Many stores can trace their history back for decades, but few can say the store has remained owned by the same family throughout that time. The company was launched by Doug and Leslie’s great-great-uncle Jack Silver in 1938 as a wholesale distributorship of jewelry and giftware, transforming into a retail operation in 1994.

PHOTO GALLERY (19 IMAGES)