After 40 years at the helm of Bijoux Jewellers, master jeweller GEORGE BEZOS is getting ready to hang up his boots, but not his tools.

After 40 years at the helm of Bijoux Jewellers, master jeweller George Bezos is getting ready to hang up his boots, but not his tools.

George Bezos’ Manuka boutique, Bijoux Jewellers, will close its doors after Christmas, marking the end of a decades-long retail era.

However, it won’t be the end of his design career. 

George says Bijoux has been more than a jewellery store. 

“Elegant, distinctive and quietly daring”, he says, it has been a place where memories were made, from one-of-a-kind engagement rings to rare gemstones sourced from around the world. 

Travelling widely from New York and Mexico to Greece and India to seek out stones and personal stories to be incorporated into his jewellery, George was originally located at Centrepoint in Civic, before relocating to Manuka. 

One of Bijoux’s signature offerings was its Navajo jewellery collection, which was known for its sterling silver, turquoise and coral appearance, crafted meticulously with a thoughtful attention to culture and detail. 

Developing long-standing relationships with emerging and established designers over the years, many of whom worked alongside George in the store, he says it’s not just the people, but the special orders that have stayed with him.

From close client collaborations he formed to create engagement and wedding rings, he says he was given the freedom and encouragement to push creative boundaries to deliver something “truly special”.

George is proud to have designed exclusive collections for the National Gallery of Australia, including pieces for Rubens and the Italian Renaissance exhibition (1992), incorporating cherubs and floral motifs in a tribute to classical grandeur. 

And for the gallery’s blockbuster Civilization: Ancient Treasures from the British Museum (1990) in which his work featured hand-cut Venetian glass set in gold and silver as a homage to ancient Greece, Italy and Egypt.

“I’ve been so lucky to do what I love for so many years,” he says. 

“But the best part has always been the people and the clients who trusted me with their stories and celebrations.

“I’ll always be grateful for that.”

Although George’s bricks-and-mortar store will be closing in December, he plans to continue designing custom jewellery. 

In the meantime, Bijoux Jewellers is hosting a farewell sale in-store from October 20 through to Christmas as a chance to own a final piece of George’s work and celebrate his four-decade legacy.

Bijoux Jewellers, 5/11 Bougainville Street, Griffith, call 6162 1117 or visit bijouxjewellers.com and follow them on Facebook.