Yasmine Collection NY has been years in the making, with owner Yasmine Chelico starting out by making her own personal jewelry designs that caught the eyes of her friends and co-workers. Soon enough, Chelico was crafting personal pieces for those around her as well.
Now Chelico is bringing her designs to the broader Manhasset community and beyond with the opening of her storefront at 346 Plandome Road.
“I just really love the fact where people say, ‘Oh, I want this’ or ‘I love this, can you make me this?’” Chelico said. “It’s just such a nice business to be in because everyone’s always happy when they’re buying it.”
Chelico, who previously worked in healthcare, was introduced to the craft through her husband’s family jewelery business, Turkan Jewelry in Levittown. As a part of the family, Chelico would help work the jewelry store on weekends and holidays.
Sparks formed in Chelico while she helped her in-laws.
“I learned a lot from being over there because there’s a lot to the jewelry business that’s beyond just the jewelry itself,” Chelico said.
Chelico started designing her own jewelry in 2018, but soon enough it was adorning the people around her.
Before opening her own storefront, Chelico sold her jewelry in boutiques and online through her website.
But with the personal aspect of jewelry, Chelico said she prefers in-person sales and getting to connect with her customers to cater to their jewelry needs. Now with a storefront, all of this is possible.
“Because sometimes you try something on and you don’t know what it’s going to look like and all of a sudden you put it on and you’re like ‘Oh my god this is amazing,’” Chelico said. “I like that, I like seeing that.”
Chelico said art had always been a hobby for her yet she pursued a career focused on the sciences and healthcare.
But Chelico has not neglected her left brain’s analytical strengths altogether with her new jewelry business. She said her skills in math and sciences come in handy as they, too, are needed when crafting her designs.
“When you’re making these small delicate pieces, everything needs to be done to the right measurements or the right size,” Chelico said. “Even with the cut of the diamonds and the stones, you have to know what the properties are of the stones and what works together.”
Turkan Jewelry is a traditional jewelry store, Chelico said, whereas her designs focus on delicate pieces that differ from her in-laws’ craft.
Chelico’s jewelry is inspired by the intersection of geometric styles and nature symbolism, a motif she said she is drawn to. This is exemplified in her honeycomb designs, which have the hexagonal structure of the honeycomb and the symbolic significance of bees.
She said her pieces can be played with to style both day and night, with customizable components to change up her designs to fit the event.
“It’s jewelry that really anybody can wear,” Chelico said.
Chelico said her store on the main drag of Plandome Road has been welcomed and supported by the Manhasset community. She said since opening she’s loved it when new customers stumble into her store and find their new favorite jewelry piece.
