Holding down a shop front in Melbourne’s CBD for over 25 years is something not many can say they’ve managed.
For Andy Makregiorgos, his presence in the bustling urban streets of Melbourne has been duly noted.
He took out a silver honour in the Lord Mayor’s Commendations last year, recognising small business owners who have stood the test of time in the City of Melbourne.
His photo, along with other recipients, has been displayed in a special exhibition at the Block Arcade and in a booklet of recipients’ stories printed and placed in prominent locations around the city.
Andy was honoured for his aptly named business, Andy the Jeweller, specialising in handmade jewellery, namely diamond engagement rings, since 1974.
For Andy, the recognition was a little bittersweet, as he is quick to say his industry, especially his niche in handmade jewellery, is dying.
“It’s a dying art, there are not many people left,” he tells Neos Kosmos.
At 69, the jeweller is at odds as to who will take over the business.
Over the years, he’s designed thousands of engagement rings, meeting people at their happiest – sometimes on multiple occasions, with many people coming back for a second or third engagement ring when marriages don’t work out.
For Andy, you’d expect his wife would be quite spoilt with her jewellery collection, but, of course, holding a business in the city for so long means that he has to be smart about what he sells.
“She pinches them a lot,” Andy says with a laugh about his wife’s unquenchable thirst for good jewellery.
With three daughters too, you’ll find Andy always thinking up unique designs for his family.
He has his favourite materials and gems and like many jewellers, he has a penchant for gold.
“I don’t like silver, I don’t like the dust, I don’t like the way it polishes up,” he says.
“Gold is much nicer to look at and work with.”
He has come a long way from his humble beginnings in Lefkada. Showing his age, Andy remembers working as an elevator operator as a young boy, to which he owes his livelihood. Going up and down floors, he made friends with a lawyer who arranged a job for him with a large jewellery manufacturer in Greece. Studying his way to the top, he followed his dreams in Australia, establishing himself first working for wholesalers and for retail jewellers.
With enough capital under his belt, he started his own business on Little Collins Street, slowly making a name for himself.
With decades to find the best suppliers, Andy has managed to create beautiful work with local materials and special imports from Europe.
Andy was one of 56 honoured among an array of small business owners from a variety of industries, including medicine, retail, millinery, the arts and hospitality.
One business, Modak Motorcycles, run by Jean Beanham, took out the platinum honour that recognised more than 50 years in business.
The exhibition of the Lord Mayor’s Commendation recipients is on display in the Block Arcade until the end of January.