When FoundRae owner Beth Hutchens visited 777 Madison Avenue, she knew it was the right location for her second New York store. “I fell in the love with the address,” said Hutchens, who believed the auspicious address (777) was a good sign. She also knew Madison Avenue was the place to be.
Madison Avenue Shopping: FoundRae
A self-declared downtown girl, Hutchens lives and works in Tribeca, where she opened her first store in 2018 and admittedly didn’t venture to the Upper East Side often. That is until she opened her store in September.
Hutchens, like countless others, thought of Madison Avenue as old school, a place for legacy brands.
But over the past 18 months, the storied shopping street from 57th to 79th Street, has seen an influx of independent contemporary jewelry and fashion brands and designers. In part because, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many stores closed and rents declined (it’s all relative), giving smaller brands an opening to come uptown. Also, Madison Avenue has been reenergized with the addition of new hotels, private clubs, and restaurants.
Madison Avenue Shopping: Sophie Bille Brahe
The list of jewelry newcomers includes Danish designer Sophie Bille Brahe, a favorite of fashion insiders in Europe and the U.S., who opened her first store outside of Copenhagen on Madison. “I love this area and love being near Central Park,” said Bille Brahe, whose boutique is located above Sant Ambroeus, considered the Upper East Side’s best-loved coffee bar.
Bille Brahe searched for a location in New York for three years before finding the open and airy second-floor space, which she says feels personal and private like her five-year-old Copenhagen boutique. The store offers a wide selection of her playful pearl and diamond designs.
Madison Avenue Shopping: Sauer
Brazilian jeweler Sauer also opened its first shop outside its own country on Madison near 67th Street in November. “I can’t think of a better place than Madison to find the most exquisite things in the world,” said Stephanie Wenk, Sauer’s creative director, who was in New York in early December for the store’s opening party.
Madison Avenue Shopping: Boucheron, Van Cleef & Arpels
It’s not just the independents settling in on Madison. Heritage jeweler Boucheron opened its first New York location on Madison Avenue in September. Van Cleef & Arpels, whose flagship store is a few blocks away on Fifth Avenue, opened a lavish five-story boutique in a landmark building on Madison and 62nd Street. Designed more like a stylish townhouse than a jewelry store, the building’s fifth floor is furnished like a glamorous living room with couches and a fireplace, and there’s rooftop for al fresco entertaining.
Madison Avenue Is New York’s Unofficial Diamond Jewelry Shopping Street
The avenue is also attracting some of the hottest contemporary fashion brands, including Toteme, Khaite, and Johanna Ortiz, along with the best watch brands.
The street’s buzzy new vibe is continuing into 2025 with London-based jeweler Jessica McCormack opening in the spring, followed by Parisian jeweler Messika, and more are eyeing the remaining few open storefronts.
Madison Avenue is unofficially New York’s diamond jewelry shopping street. While it’s always had some of the best jewelry names—Fred Leighton, Stephen Russell, Sidney Garber, Pomellato, and more—now it’s humming with new names, some of which are to find elsewhere.
New Kids on the Block
And don’t expect to find the classic jewelry boutiques here. Newcomers want to express their individuality. “I felt the store needed to be a little bolder, a little more glamorous,” said Hutchens, who took inspiration from the late Vogue editor Diana Vreeland’s red apartment. The location is bathed in red walls and outfitted with Hutchen’s personal collections of art and artifacts. In addition to “discovery drawers,” which clients can open to uncover one-off pieces, she also has a bench jeweler and engraver on-site to service shoppers.
The prolific designer showcases a wide selection of gold chains and meaningful diamond charms that can be personalized, along with a constant flow of new pieces.
Bille Brahe’s boutique reflects the designer’s minimalist sensibility with stone lion statues from her family’s estate in Denmark, her signature vases made in collaboration with a Murano glass maker, and furnishing by notable Danish designers. “I’m welcoming people into my universe, with personal things, like a shell from a Danish writer whom I love, and other meaningful items.”
Bille Brahe often works on bespoke engagement rings and is committed to natural diamonds. “My love is for real diamonds from the earth, not something that was grown in a lab,” she said. With plans to visit New York more often, she will meet with clients in person or via Zoom to create the jewels of their dreams.
Sauer’s shop brought Brazil to New York with custom wood and marble furnishings and décor, and mid-century Brazilian furnishings. Known for bold, sculptural designs appointed with vibrant gemstones and sizable diamonds, the new location also has exclusive pieces made for the New York store, and the second level presents rare stones from the house’s museum collection.
Now you know where you go to uncover the best contemporary jewelers, along with heritage houses, and great vintage finds. You’re welcome.
