Galleria J. Antonio

So I've been going to this shop for like 20 years now and have yet to express my love for them. This is a wonderful place to come for watches and jewelry and bags and a few other items. The owner is amazing and one of my favorite people in this world. Helpful knowledgeable kind and warm spirits are here. Come see for yourself you won't be disappointed unless you're unkind or nasty and if thats you do us all a favor stay way far away from my good people!!

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A lovely place for Judaica. Unfortunately, a took a watch there for repair, after years of being an infrequent but consistent customer. It had a retrograde movement, meaning it will break if you wind the hands in the wrong direction, which I told them. When I dropped it off, it worked. When I picked it up, it didn't. They took no responsibilty and weren't even courteous enough to respond to my text afterward. Just blamed it on me and said they should have checked before taking it in for service. When he was looking at when I picked it up - after I noticed it was broken and again said not to wind it backward - I observed him to be playing with it by winding it in both directions despite what I had just said. Now I have to get the movement replaced, and despite their lovely collection, won't be able to shop there anymore.

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Tried to charge me $40 to remove 4 links on my watch. Were nice about it

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I stumbled upon Galleria J. Antonio on a cold and windy snowy day in late February 2022. A genuine warmth radiated from the owner, and the heated Aladdin's cave I found myself in was a welcomed refuge from the biting cold wind that whistled down Avenue A off the East River. And just like that I'd found my favourite jewellery store.

For full disclosure it is a love/hate relationship. The love comes from me when I clasp a necklace or thread ear rings into the lobes of my ears. The love comes from the compliments I receive each time I wear a piece purchased at 43 Avenue A, New York. But the hate is real too.... I most recently felt it on Monday, June 13th, my last full day in the city. It was a beautiful sunny day, and I was wearing a floaty blue sun dress with my cowgirl hat and gold western ankle boots. I found myself walking down St Mark's Place, where I turned Right onto Avenue A..... And found myself standing in front of a shuttered shop, looking at the beautiful coloured necklaces and ear rings and other, beautiful curiosities. Closed. Monday and Tuesday. I almost cried, but I didn't want to smudge my mascara. And that shuttered door saved me from my other hate: my bank balance after I visit Jesse and his delightful husband....

Now, Galleria J. Antonio is no Tiffany's, nor Cartier. It's a far more interesting shop. The pieces are all so much more interesting and so much more unique. The pieces I have purchased in the past have cost me from less than $100- through to a few hundred dollars. (my credit card hurts because I can never decide on just one piece!)

So as I sit here, shivering through a Sydney winter evening, with my hot cocoa, hoping to find sleep soon, filled with the sweet dreams of shopping at 43 Avenue A, NYC, I console my recent disappointment with a misting of my favourite fragrance, which I purchased on my last day in the City from their flagship store.

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I have been getting my watches and jewellery repaired for many years at Galleria J Antonio. Jesse is very sweet, knowledgeable and talented. He has appraised watches for me, done simple watch repairs (like battery replacement) at a low cost and more intricate work. He only charged $65 to repair a pair of sentimentally valuable amber earrings and it required sourcing and renting a laser solder (including the cost of his own travel time). He is very fair with repair costs and has a genuine love for the work he does, and it is reflected in his extra care and attention. It is rare to find a resource like this and he is a neighbourhood gem. I highly recommend him and he has done exemplary work for my extended family and I.

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