You can't miss the orange door. Its bold, chic color suggests that something very new has made its mark on the Sayville shopping scene. On October 14, 2006 that orange door opened into an intimate gallery featuring the works of more than 50 artisan-jewelers from all over North America. Silica is the brainchild of area residents Alison Flodin-Veitch and Jeffrey Behrens, and houses Jeff's complete collection of Sea Gems, a line of handcrafted jewelry made with beach glass from Long Island's shores. Sea Gems has an enormous local following and now loyalists can browse through the latest creations in a stylish environment filled with soothing and inventive displays. Jeff, a retired New York City Police detective, inherited his passion for beach glass from his wife, Jeannie. He began showcasing Jeannie's finds in sterling silver settings of his own design. Today, his inventory of handpicked Long Island beach glass numbers more than 23,000. Behrens prefers to highlight the glass in its most natural state - uncut and un tumbled - making each design a one-of-a-kind. His work has been featured in Dan's Papers and News day. Silica also has scores of work from other artisan-jewelers wittily presented in vintage dressers. Alison is responsible for most of the store's whimsy. She is the former manager and buyer of Geode, an Atlanta-based shop that specialized in handcrafted jewelry. 38 South Main Street Last updated on January 26, 2008. |
