William Boyajian’s father had a jewelry store on Fifth Avenue South called Landmark Gems dating back to 1968. Save for a few years in Los Angeles, the family has called Naples home for as long as he can remember. His father, a gem merchant, would travel the world over and bring back rough stones to be cut by his lapidary, and young William would observe and soak in everything he could about cutting cabochons. As he grew older, so did his fascination with gems and design. So much so that he would attend the Gemological Institute of America before heading to the ArtCenter College of Design in California.
While at the ArtCenter, he became enchanted by the idea of taking his design talents to larger mediums, designing airplanes, boats and automobiles, and though he tried to resist the trope of following in his father’s footsteps and taking over the family business, he kept returning to help his dad—spending a year in Bangkok to get his designs manufactured so they could sell them to Neiman Marcus, liquidating vaults worth of antiques his father had collected from Sotheby’s in London and New York, and training someone to eventually succeed him. But the jewels just wouldn’t let go, and he went on to get a degree in goldsmithing and then CAD, becoming a full-fledged jewelry designer and an artist through and through. Today, there’s a divine spirit with which he approaches each creation at his own Port Royal Jewelers—even his office is designed as a creative hub where magic happens and then emanates out into the showroom. After all these years, Boyajian has become a fixture in the Naples community. Below, he shares some insight on paying homage to a predestined path while forging his own way.
Courtesy Port Royal Jewelers
William Boyajian port royal jewelers shaping naples legacy aquamarine earrings
Labor of Love
“People would come to me and want me to redesign their jewelry or they would want specially commissioned pieces. I started making pieces for local charities and getting involved in the community. I love creating things for people who appreciate art because it’s not only the art of designing something on paper but it’s also bringing it to life for the client. In that process, it really is truly a labor of love. Because if it’s not right, I have to go back to the drawing board, and I have to keep on doing it until my eye tells me it’s right. Whether I do it for a client or for a charity it’s the same thing. I’ve got several clients from different parts of the country who have worked extensively with me and are really happy to find someone they can trust and who has the background and degree and understanding of art to help them with what they want. I’m looking to find people in the community who have a passion for jewelry. My goal is always to help people.”
Courtesy Port Royal Jewelers
William Boyajian port royal jewelers shaping naples legacy flower ring
Inspiration Journey
“My collections have to do with my travels. There are a lot of pieces I created from my travels up to Michigan this past summer. I was in a national park and I went to Mackinac Island and got a little cabin on a lake and sat there and worked with concepts. A whole springtime concept came from it—pieces you’re seeing now and new designs for this year. Because I have a stock of gemstones in the studio, I can pull what I need.”
Courtesy Port Royal Jewelers
William Boyajian port royal jewelers shaping naples legacy butterfly necklace
Divine Quality
“All these gemstones that G-d created, each one has an isotropic and anisotropic relation. If you put a laser light, which we didn’t have until the 20th century, pure light, through isotropic gems, they turn black. They don’t refract. When you put laser light through anisotropic gems, they turn into a rainbow. All the stones that are involved in the holy scriptures are anisotropic. Isn’t that wild?”
Living Legacy
“My father was a very respected man in the gem industry. When he died at 95, he had people flying in from all over the country because they respected him and they wanted to be here. I wanted to keep that legacy going. My dad was very traditional in the sense that he created a lot of traditional jewelry. My concept is more modern. If you do a search on ArtCenter College of Design, you’ll see that they push the envelope; they create the concepts that people are afraid to do.”
Courtesy Port Royal Jewelers
William Boyajian port royal jewelers shaping naples legacy diamond ring
A walk through Port Royal Jewelers reveals how that legacy has evolved into something fluid, symbolic and personal. Boyajian has created a series of butterflies and frogs, for example, as an ode to the notion of metamorphosis and how people and things can change in life. But the metaphor doesn’t stop there. Earrings can be taken apart and worn in three different lengths on a whim. A piece can be removed from a ring and reimagined as a pendant. And a bejeweled double ring can also serve as the fastener for a bridal gown’s train. “I try to stay classic but I also try to create unique pieces,” Boyajian says. “That’s why you won’t see it anywhere else.” In that balance, between reverence and reinvention, his father’s influence remains transformed.