This New Chestnut Hill Jewelry Boutique Is the Opposite of Traditional

Katherine Jetter 18-karat-white-gold ring with opal, diamonds, and sapphires, price upon request, the Vault Nantucket. / Photo by Bruce Peterson / Styling by Kaylei McGraw/Anchor Artists

If you picture a fine-jewelry boutique as sleek and stark, impersonal save for your own reflection in the gleaming glass cases, you haven’t been inside the Vault Nantucket. Outfitted with emerald-green walls, floral wallpaper, and Murano glass chandeliers, the recently opened storefront in Chestnut Hill is the opposite of traditional—just like owner, gemologist, and jewelry designer Katherine Jetter intended.

The shop takes cues from its sister store on Nantucket, which Jetter owned and operated for five years before deciding an expansion was in order. After a lengthy search for the right space—and a collaboration with interior designer Marla Mullen—she dreamed up this whimsical, 550-square-foot jewel box, which officially opened at the Street in Chestnut Hill last October. “It feels like going into your friend’s living room, hanging out and having a glass of wine,” the owner says of the store. “It’s very cozy and familiar.”

Owner and designer Katherine Jetter sits inside the Vault Nantucket’s playful new outpost in Chestnut Hill. / Photo by Bruce Peterson

And the jewelry selection, anchored by Jetter’s eponymous line, is just as inviting. Her vibrant, gemstone-centric sparklers use only natural, unheated stones, carefully selected for quality. Jetter’s bespoke pieces are particularly special: She’ll source fresh gems for whatever you envision, or use existing materials (say, a diamond from your grandmother’s engagement ring) to craft a new, one-of-a-kind bauble. “It’s something that I’m really passionate about and love doing,” she says.

For those unsure of what they want until they see it, the boutique also stocks jewelry from 17 designers, each handpicked by Jetter. From quirky earrings by London’s Robinson Pelham to unisex rings in 18-karat gold from California-based Hoorsenbuhs to Brazilian maker Silvia Furmanovich’s marquetry-enhanced pendants, the owner makes sure the Vault has a little something for everyone. She even carries an array of lifestyle goods (jewel-toned PJs, scented candles) to accessorize your new bling. “I want to think of things that are a bit different, and a fun experience,” Jetter says. “There’s a huge amount of vetting that goes into [selecting] the designers and products we carry.”

Things We Love

Courtesy photo

1. Ondyn “Lumiére” 14-karat-yellow-gold bracelet with diamonds, $6,850.

Courtesy photo

2. Silvia Furmanovich 18-karat-yellow-and-white-gold earrings with topaz and diamonds, $11,000.

Courtesy photo

3. Katherine Jetter 18-karat-yellow-gold necklace with opal and diamonds, $5,200.