Downtown's last 2 jewelers closing shop this year

YOUNGSTOWN

Downtown will lose some of its shine this year.

The last two jewelry stores in the central city are going out of business as their owners start the next chapters of their lives with retirement.

The Youngstown Jewelry Repair store, 101 E. Boardman St., will close Friday after serving the Mahoning Valley for 26 years.

Domenic Paolone Jr., the store’s owner, got his start in the business when he worked for another jeweler, and then attended a school in Jupiter, Fla., to learn more about the trade. The store originally opened in Boardman, which served the community for five years before relocating to downtown.

Jerry Lee’s Jewelry store, 20 W. Federal St., will close at the end of June, after serving the downtown community for nearly 60 years.

“It’s been continuously family-owned since 1958,” said Richard Thomashow, the owner.

Read more about these pieces of the city's history in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.