Sami's Down to Earth Jewels

Story by Jenn Agema Photos courtesy of Sami Fine Jewelry and Jenn Agema

SAMI’S DOWN TO EARTH JEWELS

If 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.

Stephenie and Sami's mascot

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.

Miners at work in the Four Peaks Mine

Who Knew? Arizona is the largest leading producer of Peridot (and Turquoise) in America; Arizona’s largest producer of Peridot is from nearby Globe, AZ. Do ants prefer Garnets? No, actually ‘Anthill Garnets’ are found around the margins of ant hills – the ants encounter the garnets as they create their underground passages, and then haul the stones to the surface and discard them (such foolish creatures!)

One of the most fascinating collections is the store’s pride and joy: a finished American Gem Collection™, which is made up entirely of custom pieces using only gemstones mined in America. Amazingly, it took over 3 years to acquire the gems and create the collection. Why did it take so long you might ask? Because less than 1% of all gemstones in the world are mined in America – so this gallery is made up of incredibly rare stones, which is perfect for anyone with an appreciation for the truly unique.

The more I learned about the beginnings of the business, I discovered that the roots and passion run very deep. Sami Jack, whose earliest years of experience involved selling Indian jewelry on the Florida beaches, eventually settled in Arizona, opened this shop, and had her daughter Stephenie. Then in 1997 when her 17 year old daughter was busy selling cowboy boots, Sami was diagnosed with breast cancer, and her daughter was brought in to help. They’ve been working together ever since. And when asked what got her Mom so passionate about jewelry-making, she said “If you ever cut Sami, she would bleed purple.” She adores the Amethyst in particular, through and through!

Sami with her daughter Stephenie

It was clear to me that Stephenie’s love for the jewelry business is grounded in her love of building relationships. Not only does she create fun events for charity and bridging the community (Sami’s recently held an event that almost beat the world record of the most couples renewing their vows at over 800!) she also shows individual commitment to each customer. When choosing the precious stones for custom pieces, she often visits the mines herself and works directly with the miners to find her gemstones – cutting out the middleman and keeping connection with the ‘source’. You can’t get more ‘real’ than that!

Stephenie with gemstones fresh from the mines

Next Tour Dates: May 2019 and September 2019

Visit the store and be sure to follow Sami Fine Jewelry’s Facebook Page for their weekly ‘Win it Wednesdays!’ Facebook. com/SamiFineJewelry.

ArizonaKEY.com