Gregory’s Jewelers (It’s always a pleasure to write about a family-owned business that has graced the beaches for so long, so it was wonderful to meet the owners Gregory Georgallis and his wife JoAnne, to find out more about the jeweler’s history. Also, in writing this, I discovered that Gregory lost his battle and succumbed to stage-four cancer in March. JoAnne says the jewelry store is open and will continue to operate as a legacy to his husband. The family has also asked well-wishers to honor Gregory’s memory by donating at philanthropy.mayoclinic.org to help more people obtain early cancer detection.)
It’s been nearly 50 years since Gregory Georgallis left his home on a Greek Island in the Aegean Sea to come to America.
Today, the namesake of Gregory’s Jewelers in Jacksonville Beach holds one of the highest ratings given to independent jewelers around the world — and not only draws business from the beaches, but from throughout Jacksonville and even customers from other states.
Gregory, his brothers Thomas and Lewis, and now his own sons, can trace their knowledge of creating hand-crafted jewelry from his father, Giorgios, who was a well-respected jeweler in Greece. As a young boy, Gregory said he was given such tasks as sweeping up the jewelry shop and hunting for cuttlefish bones on the seashore – which would be used in the casting process.
Read more at: https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/2017/01/07/third-generation-continues-making-gregory-s-local-jewel/15738119007/