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Meet
the Jewelers at Valley Jewelers and North Country Fair Jewelers
Between the two partner stores, we have five
full-time bench jewelers on staff and the creativity of each individual cannot
help but find its way to the sales floor.
Lynne Talbot is a Graduate Gemologist from GIA
(Gemological Institute of America) and a Certified Jeweler from AGS (American
Gem Society). Having her valuable talents on staff allow us to offer insurance
appraisals and gem identification. The Certified Gemologist Appraiser is trained
in appraisal methodologies and will provide a professional report of the quality
and value of your fine jewelry. Appraisals from Certified Gemologist Appraisers
are held in high regard by insurance companies, banks, and courts for any of
your needs.
Valley Jewelers and North Country Fair became AGS
Members in 2000. As American Gem Society jewelers, we offer you quality jewelry
you can be proud to wear- jewelry and gemstones that are what we represent them
to be. Since 1934, American Gem Society jewelers have been protecting the
consuming public through our ethics, high standards, and gemological study.
Retaining our professional title depends on passing an annual examination. For
you, that means our gem training is current. We offer you reliable information
coupled with good service.
As American Gem Society jewelers, we offer you a
place to buy your jewelry with confidence. If you need additional jewelry or if
you need service, we’ll be here. We jewelers who are admitted to AGS membership
have made a commitment to our community. For you, that means we plan to continue
to be the jeweler you can count on for the symbols of your most important life
events.
Our desire to serve you well prompts us to continue
our membership in the American Gem Society.
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Brian Smith
Owner & Jeweler |
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Tim Talbot
Owner & Jeweler |
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Tim Talbot began working in
the jewelry industry in 1982. He attended the North Bennett Street School in
Boston, Massachusetts from 1985-1987. During that time, Tim apprenticed at the
Jewelers Building in Boston, working and studying many long hours. All the while
working on his own to create enough of his craft to travel north on the weekends
to attend fairs and shows to earn a living. His hard work and dedication led him
to North Conway where he met Brian Smith, who became his partner when they
opened Valley Jewelers in Conway, NH in the fall of 1990.
Valley Jewelers has grown
into a full service jewelry store, offering in- house repairs and appraisals. We
create one of a kind pieces, not typical of what you’d find in your ordinary
mall stores.
Tim’s partnership with
Brian Smith expanded in the summer of 2001, when they purchased the new store in
North Conway, new home of North Country Fair Jewelers.
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Lynne Talbot
Graduate
Gemologist (GIA)
Certified Gemologist (AGS) |
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My love for jewelry and gems began early,
and my mother could always find me at the jewelry counter in stores, awed by the
sparkle and magic of the displays.
In college I worked towards a degree in
geology and discovered a love for rocks and crystals, always fascinated by the
magic they seemed to perform. My mineralology professor captivated my passion
and appreciation for precious gems in the rough. Little did I know I was on the
road to my present career.
I stumbled upon the beauty of the finished
stones when I met my husband, who also shared a passion for jewelry, creating
beautiful pieces and running his own jewelry store. He encouraged me to expand
my horizons through furthering my education. I spent three long years
endlessly looking at and studying the science behind the mystique they reveal to
the eye. I was working in the jewelry store and was able to have hands on
experience while learning the business aspects as well. I graduated from the
Gemological Institute of America in 1999 and continued to promote Valley
Jewelers, and along with the talents of the staff we were admitted into the
prestigious American Gem Society in 2000.
Jewelry offers a special dimension to
peoples lives , helps us celebrate deep emotional ties and helps us to express
our selves in our own unique fashion. I am lucky to be able to mix business with
pleasure and be a part of this wonderful industry.
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Theresa
Matregrano Bench
Jeweler |
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has been making art in various media for many years. She holds a Bachelor
of Arts degree from the State University at Stony Brook, New York and
studied art history in Urbino, Italy with S.U.N.Y. at New Paltz, New York.
For the past four years, she has enjoyed teaching to all levels of
students through the Kennett Adult Education Program. Her classes have
included Drawing, Acrylic Painting, Watercolor Techniques, and Faux
Painting on Furniture. |
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Emily Smith
Bench
Jeweler |
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I discovered my passion for jewelry design
and metalsmithing by accident. I began working at North Country Fair, doing
retail work. One day my Dad, Brian Smith, asked me to come into the studio and
do some basic bench work. I picked up the torch and began soldering. As I
watched the flow of the metal and the flame move, I realized "This is it!
This is what I want to do!"
I am currently enrolled in college, where I
am majoring in behavioral science. However, my true passion in life is jewelry
design and creative metalwork. The possibilities are endless in this field, and
this makes every day more interesting and exciting!
My designs tend to be abstract and modern,
but I also have a love for art nouveau and art deco styles. I do custom work for
people, and also love to re-create and re-design old sentimental pieces of
jewelry.
I consider myself very lucky to have found
my passion, what drives me, and even luckier to do it as my job!
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Stephen
Talbot Bench Jeweler |
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I have always loved working
outdoors and enjoying all that Mother Nature provides. I have an Associates
degree in Horticulture and was employed in that field for 20 years. I also found
great satisfaction as a stonemason during that time. One of the many highlights
for me was being a member of the team to build an award winning Japanese Garden
on display at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts.
Making a career change in
1991, I moved from Massachusetts to the Mount Washington Valley in NH where my
family has been coming to fish and hunt since the early 1900’s.
I joined Valley Jewelers,
to train under my brother Timothy Talbot, as a metalsmith. This has been a very
rewarding experience. I have always had a deep fascination with nature, I find
that this theme is naturally incorporated into my jewelry. Working with some of
the most beautiful, natural gemstones in the world, many of them locally mined
and cut, this is truly celebrating the wonders of the natural world.
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Jennifer Foley
Sales Associate |
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Darci Talbot
Sales Associate |
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