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In Memoriam: Lee Elliott, Long Island Jeweler August 23, 2021 (2 comments)
Southampton, NY—Lee Elliott, who ran a custom jewelry shop for 56 years, died August 14 after a brief illness. He was 75. Image: Lee and Dori Elliott, via Southampton Patch.com.
Elliott was the proprietor of Lee Jewelers on Jobs Lane in the upscale resort community of Southampton, NY. He specialized in handmade jewelry in 14k and 18k gold, platinum, and sterling silver, with diamonds and gemstones. His daughter, Dori, now 33, grew up in the business and began working in the shop at age 14 until the decline in her father’s health forced the store to close for good on August 1.
Originally a leathersmith and sandal maker in New York City’s famed Greenwich Village in the 1960s, Elliott’s first foray into metal work was when he began crafting belt buckles, a passion that ultimately led him to jewelry-making.
A post on the store’s Facebook page was repeated in the store window: “With a very heavy heart we are saddened to announce that this will be our last month in business here at 60 Jobs Lane in Southampton. We thank you for 56 years of support and love. Lee's health has taken a turn and we are not able to sustain the retail location anymore. We are having a MAJOR Closing Sale with everything in the shop up to 50% off as we need to clear out our inventory in order to close our doors by August 1st. PLEASE come down to buy one last piece, tell us a memory, and say goodbye. Dori will be continuing to carry on her father's incredible legacy creating jewelry and finding online and other ways to keep selling Lee Elliot's unique, handmade works of wearable art. Please follow her for future updates. Thank you again for half a century of love, and all Dori has ever known. Love, Lee Jewelers”
"He never really retired; the store and he are dying together," Dori Elliott told the Southampton Patch in an article paying tribute to the business and her father. The family’s poodle Sandy—a shop regular who greeted customers with a snuggle—also died recently. Dori told the Patch the dog “didn't have a will to hang on without the shop or my dad."
"He is my hero," Dori said of her father in the article. "I will carry on his legacy forever through his jewelry — and his artistry, that will live on through me eternally."