Out & About: Visiting Tacori’s New Shop-in-Shop

One of my professional goals for the new year is to spend more time in jewelry stores.

Though I’m the retail reporter at National Jeweler, I don’t get to spend as much in-person time with retailers as I’d like, especially in their stores.

So, when Tacori asked if I’d like to come down to Maryland to visit Smyth Jewelers and see its new shop-in-shop there, I happily accepted the invitation.

I’m familiar with Tacori, as I’ve written about several of its collections and met with Tacori’s Head of Design Nadine Tacorian Azerounian during Couture in Las Vegas and in New York City.

I haven’t decided if this is a good or bad thing about myself, but I know immediately whether or not I like someone and if we’re going to click. I liked Nadine and her team right away and I think they bring a love to their designs that’s palpable.

They have an eye for what’s trendy without straying too far from traditional elegance, while also embracing nontraditional styles, like in the unisex “Couples” collection of commitment jewelry.

I was not familiar with Smyth Jewelers but a little research and a look back into the National Jeweler archives made me excited to meet with its team as well.

Founded by Albert Smyth in Baltimore in 1914, the fourth-generation Maryland jeweler is still going strong 111 years later, with three locations across the state. The fifth generation may soon enter the family business. 

Tacori was founded by Haig and Gilda Tacorian, who are now both retired, in 1969 after the couple immigrated to the United States from Europe.

Smyth Jewelers and Tacori share common ground as longstanding family businesses.

There’s something special about a family business that has survived this long; perhaps it’s because they know how to throw a party.

I arrived at the Smyth Jewelers store in Timonium, Maryland, on Thursday evening for the Tacori event.

It was a smaller event, by design, attended by VIP customers and staff from the jeweler and Tacori.

The space had a fun energy. I was greeted at the door and walked down the Tacori-blue carpet, past the step-and-repeat, and into the bar at the back of the store where I had my choice of Tacori-themed cocktails.

I opted for the “Nadini,” a blueberry martini named in honor of Nadine, but I also had the choice of a “Crescent Crush,” an ode to the Tacori Crescent, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, or “Uncle Paulie’s Ascot,” presumably named after CEO Paul Tacorian.

With my on-theme drink in hand, I headed over to the new shop-in-shop, the first of 15 that Tacori will open at retail partners throughout the year.

My first impression was that the space felt elevated. It was bright and airy, with a white backdrop adorned with a repeating pattern of the brand’s signature crescent design.

The matte gold-toned showcase accents, with curves on the edges to mirror Tacori’s crescent rings, tied the space together.

The in-store boutique was inspired by the brand’s home city of Los Angeles, with its ambient lighting meant to honor the spirit of the city.

I also noticed that Tacori’s signature blue hue wasn’t as prominent as I would’ve thought.

While the brand isn’t abandoning the color entirely, it was intentionally kept to a minimum in the space as Tacori finds its new look.

The shop-in-shop was created in partnership with the Casadevall Group, which specializes in luxury retail environments. Other clients in the jewelry and watch industry include Pandora, Breitling, Longines, and Tissot.

“We’re excited to offer an elevated, fully immersive brand experience for our retail partners and their clients, allowing them to truly connect with the craftsmanship and beauty behind Tacori’s fine jewelry and bridal collections,” Paul said in a statement.

Paul previously served as the company’s CEO from 2016 to 2023 when Chief Commercial Officer Roeya Vaughan was promoted to CEO, marking its first non-family CEO. He has taken the role again following her departure last year.

“The new Tacori shop-in-shop marks an exciting new chapter in our national retail strategy, and we are proud to partner with Smyth Jewelers to open our first branded location,” said Paul.

Smyth was chosen to debut the new shop-in-shop concept because it’s a premiere Tacori authorized retail partner, said the brand.

The second location will open soon at Markham Fine Jewelers in Southlake, Texas.

“As longtime partners of Tacori, we couldn’t be more thrilled to be the first to create this special space showcasing the superior quality, craftsmanship, and service that go along with Tacori fine jewelry,” said Bob Yanega, chief financial officer at Smyth Jewelers.

Yanega was excited about the new space and offered me a tour of the store, which is probably one of the largest independent jewelry stores I’ve ever visited.

I spent some time poking around the vintage and estate jewelry, a personal favorite of mine, and its watch selections.

I also toured the store’s sizable giftware section, a pleasant surprise for me, stocked with glassware you could have etched in-house with a special message, as well as cute tchotchkes.

While it may be uncommon nowadays for jewelers to have a giftware section, it works well for Smyth Jewelers, I was told.

People buy jewelry every once in a while, but they stop in to grab gifts for birthdays or graduations much more often. It’s a great way to build a relationship with the community.

Speaking of community, Tacori fans turned out for the event, both couples and women shopping for themselves.

What you might call browsing I call market research, so I was trying on pieces left and right.

I loved the one-of-a-kind section, which featured a vintage necklace from the Tacori archives and a gorgeous bezel-set emerald ring and bracelet, with a sapphire version available as well.

A stunning pair of rutilated quartz drop earrings backed by onyx were calling my name.

I think of Tacori as a bridal brand that also makes fine jewelry staples, but this one-of-a-kind section really spoke to the design team’s range.

I’d be interested to see what the brand could do with less well-known gemstones, like spinel or tourmaline, though perhaps that’s straying too far from its customer base.

The bridal section of the Tacori shop-in-shop was a delight, with so many options to browse, both traditional and trendy.

The showstoppers for me were the engagement rings with chunky bands.

One ring I liked in particular had a band featuring a mosaic of north-south set marquise and pear-cut diamonds. You can see Tacori’s classic crescent detailing just underneath.

At first glance, you might say, “No, that’s too much ring,” but, trust me, try it on. 

I also tried on some somewhat less chunky bands for the more minimalist among us and a few three-stone rings.

  
 
 
 
 



 

 
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Chunky bands and three-stone rings are both trending in bridal, as per Tacori and our own Associate Editor Natalie Francisco, who compiled her own engagement ring trends report earlier this month.

I asked Nadine how much impact celebrity engagements have on the brand’s designs. The answer is, a lot.

She said the phone has been ringing off the hook with retailers asking for marquise-cut diamond engagement rings following Selena Gomez’s engagement to Benny Blanco.

Marquise diamonds are my personal favorite, so I was delighted to hear this. Let’s up the supply, people!

Later in the evening, I took a break from playing dress-up to listen to Nadine’s remarks to the crowd gathered.

“I am so personally excited on behalf of everyone at Tacori to be here tonight with our longtime partner Smyth Jewelers and friends launching our beautiful Tacori boutique, our new environment here,” she said.

Hearing feedback from customers in person, rather than through the Tacori team, was a highlight for her.

“I have had wonderful conversations with you guys and I don’t always get that opportunity so it’s been a pleasure to meet you all,” Nadine said. 

“It’s so fun to hear what you guys are interested in from Tacori.”

I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next for Tacori and to spending more time in jewelry stores this year.