Cocktails And Jewelry Are Served At Beauty & Essex

If you're under the impression that cocktails are the best thing on the menu at Beauty & Essex in NYC, you're much mistaken. Beauty & Essex's famed Pawn Shop and LoveGold have partnered to create The Charm Bar, a unique sector of the boutique offering golden charms and beautiful bracelets to pair them with. Pawn Shop's proprietress and resident jewelry guru Lauren Kaminsky helped devise The Charm Bar, thanks to inspiration from her lifelong adoration of gems. The renowned speakeasy and restaurant Beauty & Essex is hidden behind a Pawn Shop, but the shop is more than a facade. Run by Kaminsky, the shop offers wares from classic Chanel pumps to intricately detailed chandelier earrings, and has now expanded to include The Charm Bar.

A third-generation pawn specialist and daughter of the EZ Pawn founder, Kaminsky found herself enthralled by the jewelry world from a young age. The entrepreneur's current shop was greatly influenced by the blissful hours she spent discovering distinctive gems in vintage boutiques and her time spent at working at EZ Pawn. In an industry which often sees unique gold-cast jewelry melted down, Kaminsky stresses the importance of preserving vintage pieces, a conviction which eventually led to the establishment of The Charm Bar. More than 300 gold charms adorn the cabinets, busts, and display cases of Pawn Shop, to be paired with an assortment of stone-embellished bracelets or a charm bracelet you already possess. A quirky Mr. Potato Head charm sits next to a miniature Arc de Triumph, and a sweet rocking chair is set next to a minute, Alice In Wonderland-looking pocket watch. Though more weighty, embellished charms run for upwards of $100, the adornments begin at the reasonable price of $15.

Next time you pop into Beauty & Essex for an aperitif or a quick glass of champagne, steal away for a moment to check out The Charm Bar; you may come out of the experience with much more than a champagne buzz.

Images: Courtesy of LoveGold And Pawn Shop