Aug. 19, 2019

Custom jeweler Thomas Faini is used to making things shine.

He’s about to do the same with his new downtown business.

Faini, who bought longtime jeweler J.H. Bechtold, is preparing for a major renovation of its longtime store on Phillips Avenue.

“After seeing the vibrancy of downtown, we knew we had to do something, so we said let’s work on a remodel,” Faini said.

The first phase will start soon and involve the exterior, opening up the windows so  they look more like the building did when Bechtold’s opened there in 1947.

“We want to keep things as original as possible, and the city requires it,” Faini said. “We brought old pictures of what it was before, and they approved what we wanted to do. We’re not sure if we’re going to keep the iron fence in front anymore, but they have left us the option to keep it there if we want.”

After Christmas, the plan is to begin working inside the store. Plans are still being finalized, but Faini is working with a professional jewelry remodeling firm as well as Lenae Design locally.

“We’re going to try to make the inside more modern while preserving some of the antiquity,” he said. “We’ll have a legend area that describes the history of the business because it’s part of Sioux Falls, and we want to make sure we’ll continue that legacy.”

He’s not sure how long the remodeling will take, but the plan is to remain operational throughout – even if that means temporarily relocating merchandise somewhere else downtown.

“We’ll maintain a presence downtown and might be partnering with someone,” he said.

Faini also owns F&H Private Jewelers and Thomas James Jewelers, which are located at 3400 W. 49th St. From his shop there, he primarily serves wholesale customers and individuals with custom jewelry work.

He has known the Bechtold family for generations, and when he learned there might not be a next generation to carry on the downtown store, he stepped up.

“The Bechtold family is wonderful. I can’t say enough about Steve and Nancy. They’re absolutely a dream to work with, and they made this opportunity happen. We just want to make sure a jewelry presence is kept downtown and keep the Bechtold name going along with our name. It’s going to be a great pleasure to do that.”

The new business is Thomas James & Bechtold Jewelry.

Faini said the next chapter will build on the decades-long legacies of both families.

“We have to keep it going and not just going but expanding. We’re going to bring it back to the glory days,” he said.

“We want to be known as the high-luxury store in Sioux Falls, especially downtown, and be a place where clients who are local downtown can just walk to their jewelry store. We’ll really uptick the quality quite a bit and get into some of the high-end luxury pieces. It should be pretty amazing. I think Sioux Falls will be really proud of what we’re doing, and the community deserves it.”

Shared history of two families leads to new owner for J.H. Bechtold