Story by Jenn Agema Photos courtesy of Sami Fine Jewelry and Jenn Agema
SAMI’S
DOWN TO EARTH
JEWELS I
f you’re anything like me, some high end shops can have the appearance of an unattainable luxury – and my fear of ignorance about ‘grades and quality’ start to steer me in the other direction. But WOW – what a gem I found when I wandered into this beautiful Fountain Hills jewelry store. Sami Fine Jewelry is a 3,000 square foot jewelry store that in every sense of the word displays elegance and quality, but with a truly downto-earth staff among exceptional collections of colorful settings. This was in no way one of those ‘look but don’t touch’ stuffy environments that would normally scare me off. And the Owner, Stephenie Bjorkman, isn’t your typical jewelry ‘mogul’ either – I learned about her love of horses, her Ford pickup truck and treks to the mines for her gemstones. Along with the other customers, I mingled with her two adorable French Bulldogs fashionably decked out in their gemstone leather collars. All the while I was absorbing the eye candy in the cases and becoming more and more informed – and I felt immediately at ease. The store and its original Owner (Stephenie’s Mother, Sami) have an incredibly long history here in the Valley as the biggest supplier of Arizona Amethyst that comes straight from the local mine at Four Peaks. Their long-term relationship with the mine itself has made it possible for customers to go by helicopter and experience actual mine tours. But beyond just the bright purple glow, the store specializes in custom-made (yet affordable!) jewelry of ALL shapes, sizes and colors – including a very large collection of all three very distinct Arizona gemstones: Amethyst, Peridot, and Garnet. 68
Arizona KEYMagazine
