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Fairfield, CT--Madison Jewelers, long located on Black Rock Turnpike in Fairfield, CT, reopened Aug. 28 after closing for six months following the death of its owner, Tom Losonci. Now it’s back in business in the hands of new owner, Ernie Piscitelli (below left), who had been the store’s manager for the past 10 years.

Six months before Losonci succumbed to cancer, he gave Piscitelli the right of first refusal to buy the store. "He wanted the store to carry on," Piscitelli told The Daily Fairfield, a local newspaper. "And he knew that I would carry it on with dignity, and with the same character that always has been."

Although the store’s location and name haven’t changed, the inventory has, as Piscitelli (left) decided to shift merchandising focus. While Madison's well-known diamond engagement rings still are front and center in the store, Piscitelli has spent the past six months finding new styles of more casual—and affordable—jewelry.

"What's happening right now in the jewelry industry is fantastic," he told the paper. "It's one of the most exciting eras since the 1920s. Anyone really, of any age, can come in and find something stylish that they didn't see anywhere else. And they'll be able to afford to purchase it themselves.”

Much of the old stock was sold to benefit Swim Across the Sound, Losonci’s chosen charity. The rest reverted to his family.

Piscatelli reported that after only a week in business, Madison Jewelers hadn’t had its grand reopening sale yet, but people were stumbling upon the new store and there was a lot of word of mouth.