Date: Fri 14-Nov-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNO

Quick Words:

Addessi-Tiffany-jewelry

Full Text:

Enjoy Breakfast With Tiffany (&Addessi)

(with cuts)

BY SHANNON HICKS

RIDGEFIELD -- Tiffany & Co. is a name recognized worldwide for its classic

jewelry style, its standards to purity, and impeccable designs in anything

from writing implements and watches to baby ornaments (bowls, jewelry) and

other gift ideas. The company was formed by 25-year old Charles Lewis Tiffany

in 1837, the same year Queen Victorian ascended the throne.

The Victorian era was marked by a strict adherence to manners, good taste and

opulence. Tiffany & Co.'s history is marked with achievements recognized on

both sides of the Atlantic. The company was the first American design house to

be honored with a gold medal for silver craftsmanship, at the Paris Exposition

Universelle in 1867; it set standards in cutting diamonds with its tradition

of cutting stones for their brilliance, not size; and introduced, in 1886, the

innovative six-prong, or "Tiffany," ring setting, which allows for a more

complete return of light from a stone, maximizing its brilliance.

Today, Tiffany & Co. continues to maintain the company's international

reputation as a premier source of gifts for all occasions. Because of this

strict sense of craftsmanship and pride in name, Tiffany & Co. is very

selective when it comes to deciding who will be allowed to represent Tiffany's

products.

This weekend, Addessi of Ridgefield will celebrate the grand opening of its

Tiffany & Co. Boutique, the latest addition to adorn the showcases of the

beautifully presented, inviting store at 387 Main Street.

Wayne Addessi, a resident of Newtown (along with his wife, Bernadette, and

their two daughters, Meghan and Kathryn), has devoted his career to bringing

fine jewelry to Ridgefield and the surrounding area. Addessi of Ridgefield,

the store started in 1950 by Mr Addessi's Wayne's father, Rick Addessi, has

taken command of a market that is 30 miles in radius. Customers from as far as

Southbury and well into New York State regularly make the drive to the central

Ridgefield store.

Representatives of the store approached Tiffany & Co. last year, and spoke

with a regional sales manager. After that, meetings were set up with Robert L.

Cepek, the vice president of Tiffany & Co.'s trade division, and the rest, as

they say, is history.

Addessi of Ridgefield is no stranger to landing large clients. When the store

began selling its selection of Herend porcelain, which has since become a very

important part of the company's business, it was the first store in New

England to open a Herend selection in five years.

"We're very excited," Mr Addessi said this week. "Very few jewelers across the

country are selected as Tiffany trade accounts." There are only three Tiffany

& Co. trade stores -- stores that offer pieces from the Tiffany collection,

not Tiffany & Co. stores -- in the state of Connecticut. Mr Addessi feels the

prices of the pieces being offered in the Tiffany collection are very

moderate.

"We are delighted that our fine products have found a home at Addessi of

Ridgefield," Mr Cepek said. "[We] are pleased to bring `The Tiffany Touch' to

this vibrant community." According to Mr Cepek, the collection offered at

Addessi of Ridgefield will reflect the legacy of exceptional design and

dedication to craftsmanship that has made Tiffany & Co. a worldwide symbol of

excellence.

Addessi of Ridgefield is a family-owned, independently run fine and estate

jewelry business. Wayne Addessi, who runs the Ridgefield store, says what sets

his family's business apart from so many others is the way the company does

its business. Whether someone visits the store for something as simple as a

watch battery replacement, or someone is looking to purchase a $400,000

necklace, every person receives personalized service.

"When we promise something, we follow through. Always," Mr Addessi said.

Wayne joined his father in the business two decades ago. The store has always

been very family-oriented; of the seven employees of the store, four are

immediate Addessi family members. Rick Addessi continues to work at the store,

as does his wife, Donna, who takes care of a lot of the store's window

displays and decorating. Debbie Addessi Bush (Wayne's sister) also works

full-time at the store.

The Tiffany selections available at Addessi of Ridgefield include Tiffany's

latest designs, such as the recently-introduced Atlas Collection of

timepieces, jewelry and accessories for men and women; classic Tiffany

collections, such as the elegant Signature Collection, with woven designs in

textured gold; and designs by exclusive Tiffany designers Elsa Peretti and

Paloma Picasso.

A full selection of Tiffany designs including timepieces, writing implements,

sterling silver, glass and crystal will also be available. All Tiffany

products will be packaged in the jeweler's famous blue box with ribbon.

During the grand opening celebration of the Tiffany boutique at Addessi of

Ridgefield this weekend, a percentage of every item sold will be donated to

the department of pediatric pulmonary at Danbury Hospital.

In October, one of Wayne Addessi's daughters, Meghan, caught a cold, which

turned into a virus that became complicated by the child's already-present

allergies. When Meghan started having trouble breathing, her parents brought

her to the Emergency Room, at which point she was placed in the pediatric

intensive care unit for a few days.

"I went in there one morning, and she was just lying there, big circles around

her eyes, flat out in bed," Mr Addessi recalled. "She looked just awful, the

poor thing.

"About an hour later, they rolled in this Nintendo unit -- a big monitor, this

big unit, the whole thing. That was the best medicine they could have given

her. She perked right up.

"That really left an impression on me," Mr Addessi said. "That really made a

difference. When any child is in the hospital, it's not a pleasant experience.

"[My wife and I were both] really impressed, and that's why with this opening,

we are going to donate a percentage of the sales back to the hospital."

"Breakfast With Tiffany," the grand opening of the Tiffany Boutique at Addessi

of Ridgefield, will take place Friday and Saturday, November 14-15, 10 am to 1

pm each day. A Continental breakfast will be offered to everyone visiting the

store, at 387 Main Street, Ridgefield; telephone 438-6549.