Mignoni Jewelry Celebrates 75 Years On Mill Street

What kind of jewelry do jewelers wear? Carol Mignoni Ferguson likes pearls. Her sister, Rosemarie Mignoni-Szczucki, lapel, pins.

The two women are the faces of Mignoni Jewelry, a gem of a business on Mill Street in Bristol Borough that is celebrating 75 years. But its age doesn’t preclude its style in diamonds and pearls, silver, and gold. Carol and Rosemarie know what they and their customers like

Rosemarie favors classic jewelry, especially pins, lapel pins, or beautiful pieces of artwork. But there are many reasons why jewelry is so popular, she said.

“It makes people happy. You don’t need it. There is much fun about it. It could be handed down from generations. It’s timeless,” she said.

Carol loves looking for pearls, she loves selling pearls, and she loves pearls of any kind and any color.

Carol noted beautiful jewelry can create an emotional attachment, especially if related to a special occasion, such as an engagement or graduation.

The store does have its regulars, but there are also walk-ins who pass by or feel the need to shop.

The walk-ins often are “people who just wanted to look at beautiful things,” and sometimes buy, Rosemarie said.

Rosemarie and Carol were two of six children of Carmen and Carolyn Mignoni. The family of eight traveled the world looking at jewelry displays and trends. Carmen was a U.S. Navy veteran who served in World War II.

He and Carolyn had met when she was working in the jewelry department of McCrory’s 5&10 store, located just a block from where their future business stood. During the war, Carolyn worked in business and finance at the Fleetwing plant.

“My father asked her to buy the property at 200 Mill Street, and when he came home, they opened the jewelry store,” Rosemarie said.

The history of the start-up gives way to what the store features currently, including a new collection of animals: Birds, foxes, bees and flowers of silver and gold and crystal.

The animal motif came about during the lockdowns when an Irish designer, spending time in his backyard, took in nature and its creatures, that morphed into the jewelry designs.

Amidst all the jewelry, the apparel, figurines, and china, much of it imported from Italy and Ireland, is a bittersweet memorial of a happier time. Ann Mundy, who ran the shop with her sisters Carol and Rosemarie, died unexpectedly in 2014 and is remembered at the business.

“Ann was an incredible gemologist and a good teacher. We learned so much from her. Even now, every night when we close, we tell her to watch the store for us, and she does,” Carol said.

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