Fourtané Jewelers first offered its unique jewels and timepieces to residents and visitors to historic Carmel in 1950. Today, Fourtané Jewelers is one of the leading estate jewelry, vintage watch and authorized new watch retail stores in the country. Although the clientele now spans the globe and the store significantly expanded, still the original small, friendly, and personalized atmosphere remains unchanged.
Owner John Bonifas, who has forty seven years of jewelry experience, took over the business almost thirty years ago bringing new life to the store, as well as to Carmel's jewelry trade. Since then Mr. Bonifas has acquired one of the finest collections of authentic fine antique and estate jewelry and watches from the 1800s to present day. "Here at Fourtané, everything with a past has a future." says Mr. Bonifas.
John Bonifas’ first retail job, at age 15, was sweeping floors and emptying ashtrays at a jewelry store in Toledo, Ohio. "At the time, every employee and customer smoked," he recalls. "You wouldn't believe how fast the ashtrays got filled."
Twenty years later, Bonifas and his wife, Sandy, sold a series of jewelry kiosks they operated in Ohio and bought Fourtané Jewelers, an existing jewelry outpost in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Calif., to indulge their passion for buying and selling estate jewelry. John has been the store's chief buyer since its debut, and Sandy has always kept the books.
But the endeavor became a second-generation business in 1998, when their son Joshua joined the firm as its resident vintage watch expert. Today, Fourtané is a leader in high-end antique and estate jewelry and timepieces, and offers custom-designed jewels and new Rolex watches."
–JCK Magazine "Fourtané Tellers"
“Where everything with a past has a future.”–John Bonifas
