b'D O N PU R C E L LOPEN SINCE:September 2021DESIGNERS:Hoorsenbuhs, Irene Neuwirth, Loree Rodkin, Marie-Hlne de Taillac,Mio Harutaka, Sylva & CiePaintings by artist Ashley Longshore deliver Y ou know that clich about the pandemicthe ebullient, upbeat mood Don Purcell (pictured left) was going for when opening his forcing one to reprioritize their entire life,eponymous jewelry store in September 2021.e.g., taking a job loss as an opportunity to embark on the career theyve always wanted? It happened to Don Purcell, and he has a jewelryserve the clientele. store to show for it.The customers and sales associates at His eponymous store opened in 2021 in Atlanta,Jeffrey were like family to me, he explains. Georgia. The road to get there was decades in theI wanted to provide a space for all of us to making. Purcell worked for luxury retailer Jeffrey forwork and enjoy each other.25 years, serving as general manager for the Atlanta andLocated in the citys tony Buckhead neighbor-New York City locations. hood, Don Purcell is vibrant, happy, and welcoming, I lost my job in the summer of 2020 when all Jeffrey storesthe antithesis of a stuffy jewelry store. The walls are cov-closed due to the pandemic. I decided to pursue my dream of owningered with dynamic and tongue-in-cheek Ashley Longshore paintings. my own retail store, he says.Most of the designers Purcell carries are exclusive to his store in the Purcell already had connections to his favorite jewelry designers,state of Georgia. plus a careers worth of retail experience to bank on. He approachedThe whole experience of taking the plunge and opening my own his namesake business with a holistic approach to delivering an ex- store was rewarding and even scary at times but ultimately well worth perience, making sure he didnt just stock fabulous brands like Ireneit, he says. Neuwirth and Sylva & Cie but also had a sales team who could best E VA U LT NA N T U C KT H E TOPEN SINCE:2017DESIGNERS:ARK, Buddha Mama, Cadar, Diane Kordas, Fernando Jorge, Graziela, Hoorsenbuhs, Jacquie Aiche, Jane Taylor, Katherine Jetter, Moritz Glik, Octavia Elizabeth, Ondyn, Robinson Pelham, Shay,Silvia Furmanovich, VramD esigner Katherine Jetter believes in brick and mortar. JewelryPowerhouse is about a connection, not only to the pieces themselves, but to the experience of purchasing, she explains. She describes her stores, The Vault Nantucket, as a special place.designer and We have visitors who are literally giddy when they see all the incredi- retailer Katherine ble pieces we have. Jetter recently opened a Boston outpost of her store The Vault Nantucket.'