Business of the Week: Trinkets Jewelry, Croton

Hidden in the upper village of Croton is a little shop full of treasures. Trinkets Jewelry has accessories for the body and home that fit any budget.

It has gems and jewels with usual precious metals—silver, gold and platinum, as well as costume jewelry, home accent pieces such as clocks, handbags and even Naked Bee body products. Trinkets Jewelry also does jewelry and watch repairs as well as the creation custom design pieces.

“We have the motto, ‘If you do not see what you want, we got it,’” said Philip Candela who owns the small store with his wife Valerie.

The biggest misconception people who walk into shop is that because they do not see it, Trinkets does not carry it.

“We are only a 500 sqft store,” said Valerie Candela. “We have things all over the place, even hanging from the ceiling.  You have to stop in and ask.”

The Candelas, who live in Cortlandt Manor and have been married for 15 years, offer most of the latest trends — a credit Philip gives to his wife.

“Valerie has a great eye for up-and-coming trends,” he said.

She travels to Manhattan weekly to find new ideas and pick up supplies. A big trend right now is costume jewelry.

“Things do not have to cost a lot to have good quality,” said Valerie Candela. “With the price of gold rising every day, fewer people can splurge on luxurious jewelry.  The costume jewelry line we use is an all-base metal that is 14-karat plated and uses real gems.”

Another trend is people wearing stainless steel accessories.

“We were one of the first companies to sell Steelx stainless steel jewelry,” said Candela, who is a retired nurse.  “We have to buy it through Canada, but it is worth it.”

In addition to all the merchandise available through their vendors, Candela also creates custom jewelry, especially engagement rings and wedding bands.

“Jewelry has always been my passion,” she said. “I have been designing it and making it since I was a child.”

Every designer piece comes with appraisal papers.

“We like to go the extra mile. We are honest people and treat people the way we would want to be treated,” Candela said.

She likes to share her knowledge and break the information down so people who do not know a lot about jewelry can understand.

“People appreciate that we are not intimidating,” she said. “I have had guys come in to buy gifts for their wives or girlfriends on their way home from the train. The school kids come in to get gifts for their girlfriends or boyfriends. We have been able to watch some of the area kids grow up. The most rewarding thing is when they go off to college and they come back and they stop in to buy gifts for their loved ones.”

Trinkets Jewelry has become so entrenched in the community that Philip Candela refers to the shop as the “’Cheers’ of jewelry stores.”

“Many of our customers have are more than just merely our customers—they have become our friends,” said Valerie Candela. “We end up knowing so much about our customers’ lives.  We become their confidantes and we cherish that.”

The sense of community is not just around the village it is online too.

Trinkets Jewelry has a Facebook page where the Candelas post all of the new pieces that have been made.

“We find that our customers are online claiming their pieces,” Candela said.  “I had one customer come in with a ring who told me to re-plate it and once I re-plated it to post it in Facebook. She said I want to claim the ring online.

Trinkets Jewelry is located at 9 Old Post Road South in Croton. For more information call 914-271-8882 or visit them online at trinkets-jewelry.com or on Facebook.