Huntington's Antiques & Jewels On Main To Close After 41 Years

HUNTINGTON, NY — Antiques and Jewels on Main, a cornerstone of Huntington Village for more than four decades, is set to close on June 18, according to a news release.

Owners George and Rutika Reisner are set to retire. However, their ride off into the sunset marks the end of an era.

"We work with some third-generation customers, and they are what I’ll miss the most about closing the store," Rutika said via release.

The shop specializes in engagement rings; antique jewelry; silver flatware and hollowware; and Hungarian Herend porcelain: hand-painted luxury china carried by few American retailers. Over the course of their tenure on Huntington’s retail and restaurant-dense Main Street, the owners have fostered lasting relationships with patrons and neighboring merchants alike.

"I can’t imagine Huntington Village without Ruthie & George!'' said Denise Ajamian, owner of Birkenstock Depot and a neighbor of Antiques and Jewels on Main. "They are a part of the town and they’re going to be missed terribly."

The shop is currently at 293 Main St.

Rutika opened the shop in its previous location at 345 Main St. as RGC Antiques in spring 1979, several months before she met George. As a young, single woman, she had difficulty finding a landlord who would rent to her in the village, according to the release. Her parents had encouraged her to open in Walt Whitman Mall, but she knew Huntington Village would better suit the welcoming haven the store was to become.

At the time, George was a recent immigrant from Hungary who was working in the antique business in Manhattan. Six months after the two met in January 1980, they married and merged her retail and his wholesale businesses. In 1995, the pair relocated to their current storefront.

Over the years, Antiques and Jewels on Main has become more than a place for locals and visitors to shop for jewelry and rare antique pieces. The store has become a center for advice, astrological readings, and the occasional cheese plate.

George is a patient listener known to dispense wisdom on a surprising variety of topics from precious stones to plumbing, while Rutika has a magnetic personality and has startled customers by guessing — or remembering after a decade — their astrological signs.

George’s exquisite eye for detail complements Rutika’s uncanny ability to suggest the perfect piece, creating a personalized customer experience.

The store has also been a favorite of celebrities over the years, with actors, models, musicians, and wrestlers finding one-of-a-kind treasures with the help of the Reisners. Several of their vintage jewelry pieces were purchased for inclusion in the 1993 Michelle Pfeiffer and Daniel Day-Lewis film, "The Age of Innocence."

The Reisners had originally planned to close Antiques & Jewels On Main by early 2020, Rutika told Patch in December 2019. However, the coronavirus pandemic prevented the store from saying a proper farewell to its customers.

"It is bittersweet to announce that June 18, 2021, is the last day that our store will be open for business," George and Rutika announced in a message to their patrons. "Over the past 41 years, you have become our loyal customers and dear friends. It has been an honor to play a part in your milestones, from birthdays to weddings and new babies. We hope you will continue to carry those parts of us (the watches and rings and spoons) with you as we reach this milestone of our own."

Antiques and Jewels on Main is set to be open Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. until its closing date. Customers can stop by or call for an appointment at 631-427-7674.

Masks are required in the store, and the Reisners ask for no more than two parties at a time with a maximum of eight customers total. Anyone with items on layaway or repairs that have not yet been picked up are asked to complete those transactions before the closing date. If that is not possible, they are asked to contact them to make special arrangements at rugold79@gmail.com or 631-427-7674.

Customers, whether they're first-time or longtime, were encouraged to stop by for one last chat, one last joke, one last horoscope, and one last treasure — or two — from the shop.

Fortunately, for those who love the store, the couple plans to continue to run their online shop, as well as their Etsy shops, "The Salvages" and "AntiqueJewelShop."