Located on the 4th floor of a pristine building on Newbury St. in Boston, Mass., GEMbox is home to exquisite jewels in a refined setting fit for a private jeweler. Neighbor to art galleries, high end jewelers (a Van Cleef & Arpel’s, among them), and other retail offerings, the store is the creation of Sharon Roop, who spent 30 years working for a prominent luxury retailer before conceiving her dream jewelry space.

Carrying an eclectic mix of independent jewelry designers and high-end brands, the by-appointment-only space offers clients a selection of in-demand pieces perfect for wearing every day as well as for special events.

Below, JCK connects with Sharon Roop on how GEMbox came to be, a memorable custom design, and her takeaways from this year’s Luxury show.

Give us a brief history of your store (and how you personally got into the industry).

We opened in June 2019. Previously, I worked for 30 years at a prestigious specialty store. Over the years, I curated the selection for the salon and developed a good understanding of what my clients would love—we had a much different assortment than other salons within the company. I regularly visited JCK and developed some wonderful friendships with vendors. This made it possible to open GEMbox.

In your opinion, what helps your store stand out from others in your area (or online?)

We are all about unusual and wearable pieces. We merchandise designers together in our shop and make our own stories—everyone is an equal player. We don’t have any designer signs or logos in our cases. We let the selection speak for itself.

What is your relationship with your customers like? Do you have a memory or recent example of how you helped a special shopper mark an occasion?

All our clients have interesting stories, but what really comes to mind is a client who has these special coins—their relatives had sewn them into their clothes as they escaped the Nazis back in the 40’s. The client wasn’t sure what to do with them. We turned them into pendants for each of her five granddaughters as a wearable remembrance of the family’s history. This was very gratifying to say the least.

What’s your favorite part about attending the Luxury show?

I love catching up with longtime friends. I’m so grateful they were really supportive from the start!

What’s the most memorable moment or most amazing discovery you made at Luxury this year?

I found a very rare blue diamond for a client to wear every day. People really don’t know what it is, so it’s a way to have the ultimate luxury that isn’t “in your face bling.”