above: Modern women are choosing colorful gemstones and meaningful charms
to elevate classic jewelry pieces.
The next generation of Manfredi Jewels infuses community spirit with a modern take on timeless jewelry
One evening, over dinner at L’Escale in greenwich, Bianca Chiappelloni Santos made a life-changing announcement to her parents: She decided she wanted to join the family business. Her father, Roberto, had founded the Greenwich location of Manfredi Jewels in 1988, and with his wife Roberta by his side, expanded the company by acquiring the New Canaan store from Henry C. Reid Jewelers in 2015. But on that night, the family dinner turned into something more serious—a pivotal moment of transition.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
European Influence
Roberto Chiappelloni’s path to the world of fine jewelry began far from Fairfield County. Raised in a small Italian farming village near Milan, he went on to study Hotel Management and Languages in college, traveling to various locales all over Europe during his studies. While visiting Switzerland, Germany and England, he was exposed to the world of watchmaking and gained an interest in the industry.. Years later, after owning several restaurants, he dabbled in buying and selling watches with his clients. When his childhood friend, Guilio Manfredi, found success with his jewelry line in Italy and New York, Roberto saw an opportunity to open his own Manfredi store in Greenwich.
“When my dad opened Manfredi Jewels 37 years ago, one of the first things he did was bring in several watch brands,” recalls Bianca. Over time, Manfredi became a destination known for offering iconic, high-end brands, as well as small independent watchmakers. “We still carry mainstream brands, but what sets our Greenwich location apart from other watch stores is our inventory from independent watchmakers,” Bianca explains. “For example, we were the first store in the country to carry F. P. Journe, Richard Mille and Franck Muller before they became household names.”
Choosing Between Law and Legacy
Growing up, Bianca was surrounded by the family business. Dinnertime conversations revolved around work, and her spring breaks were often spent attending buying shows with her parents in Basel and Geneva. “I was always interested in watches as a young girl, and was fortunate to sit in on many of my parents’ business meetings during these trips,” she says. Her summers were spent working at the store, learning about inventory and back-office operations.
Despite this early exposure, Bianca initially pursued a different path. She earned her undergraduate degree from Washington and Lee and then attended Boston University School of Law. Her early interest in international business, rooted in her experiences abroad, led her to pursue a degree in international and European business law. Though her legal career was taking shape, the thought of joining the family business kept resurfacing.
“A few years after getting my JD [Juris Doctor degree], I thought to myself—how can I pass up an opportunity to be part of a family business in a town I love so much?” she remembers. “Hence the L’Escale dinner speech.”
Returning to Her Roots
Her parents knew she was serious, but Roberto made it clear: if she wanted real ownership, she needed to be “all in.” As Bianca puts it, “You cannot just inherit a family business—you must buy it.” And so she did. In March 2024, she officially joined Manfredi at the New Canaan location—not as the owner’s daughter, but as a partner.
“My dad was completely right. If I wanted to be able to make respected, committed decisions, I had to be acting as an owner,” Bianca says.
Full Circle Moment
Now, nearly two years into her role, Bianca couldn’t be happier—not only due to her commitment and investment in the family business, but also because of the strong sense of community she has found in New Canaan.
“Growing up, I lived in Greenwich and rode horses at New Canaan Mounted Troop. I always loved being in this town and found the people so special,” she says. “Even when I was practicing law in New York, I wanted to move back.”
Bianca and her husband Pedro moved to New Canaan in June 2024 and welcomed their first child in August 2025. “A family business is an underrated luxury in today’s online world,” she reflects. “I can’t believe I get to live and work in such a special place.”
Since settling in to New Canaan, Bianca has deepened her expertise, gaining a keen understanding of both trends and the future trajectory of the jewelry and watch industry. With this gained insight, she shares some of the key trends influencing style today—as well as popular gifting ideas sure to bring a little extra sparkle to a world of shiny happy people.
– Bianca Chiappelloni Santos, with her husband Pedro and their infant son.
A Curated Look at Jewelry Trends
Diamonds:
When you talk about diamonds, it’s often in regard to engagement rings, and there’s a large subset of people who still want those in a classic setting. “Three-stone emerald cuts are most popular, as well as three-stone round brilliant cuts,” says Bianca, noting that while this is a timeless style, Manfredi can source any cut of diamond and variety of stones.
Though the round brilliant is the all-time classic cut, ovals and elongated cushion cuts have risen in popularity (think Taylor Swift’s engagement ring). In Bianca’s experience, younger customers are more willing to defy tradition and get more creative with their stone shape. “We see a lot of oval diamond shapes, pear shapes, even marquis. There’s more fun and creativity with this age.”
When it comes to natural versus lab diamonds, Manfredi deals with both. “Lab-grown diamonds have grown in popularity over the last few years, and we see a big swing toward lab diamonds for younger clients because many of them have a lot of expenses like saving up for a home, and purchasing lab-grown is a great way to have a large impact within a budget,” she says. Bianca reminds us while the chemical composition of a lab diamond is the same as a natural diamond, there is zero investment value in buying labs. She does, however, recommend them in engagement rings, studs or tennis bracelets for clients who travel frequently or for those who worry about losing jewelry. Bianca also makes the point that many people “upgrade” their diamond ring after being married for several years or to commemorate a special anniversary, and a lab diamond may be appropriate if they want a large stone that is cost effective.
Another diamond trend—or shall we say, a trend that never left—is the ubiquitous tennis bracelet and necklace. “We live in a traditional part of the world where iconic styles, such as tennis bracelets and necklaces, are here to stay,” she quips. For a modern twist, Bianca recommends varying the cut of the diamonds. “If you have a round brilliant-cut bracelet or necklace, and you want to add to your wrist or neck stack, people are going for fancy shapes like ovals, pears or even multistone shapes in bracelets and necklaces. For example, Bianca recently finished a tennis bracelet for a client with alternating round and emerald-cut diamonds. “Many people have this style within their wedding bands, so it’s fun to bring it into another piece of jewelry they’re wearing. We are also doing a lot of bezel-set tennis bracelets and necklaces, which is a really cool look that leans more casual.”
Watches:
“We carry over 35 different watch brands in Greenwich and a smaller range in New Canaan. Many requests are for high-end watches between $3,000 and $5,000, and we provide high-quality timepieces for very active people,” she explains. Almost every watch that Manfredi carries in New Canaan can be worn day-to-day while playing paddle, tennis or golf, but also transitions well to a night out or formal event.
“We pride ourselves in offering a relatively inexpensive watch that will last through all stages and activities of life,” she notes. While watch case size (side to side diameter) is a personal choice, Bianca notes that 36mm is still a true unisex size and popular with everyone. “At the recent Switzerland trade show, there were new releases with colorful dial options, which we have seen become popular over the past few years, and overall, we saw the case sizes of men’s watches shrink a little— from 44mm or 43mm down to 41mm or 39mm.”
For ladies, it runs the gamut, with some liking smaller faces but others wanting a bigger, bolder look. “31mm or 36mm are still great average-size watches that stay relevant for years.” Bianca says that younger girls tend to lean towards a 31mm size, and notes that with younger men there’s a movement away from leather bands toward steel bracelets, playing into the active Fairfield County lifestyle. Some couples even share 36mm watches, so they get the option of switching out two watches.
Many women incorporate watches into their bracelet or bangle stacks, so wear your everyday jewelry when trying on watches to make sure they fit physically and aesthetically with your other jewels. For those requesting very small watches, Bianca warns that as we age, it’s harder to read smaller numbers—so consider this when selecting a size.
Colored Gemstones:
In general, Bianca is seeing a movement away from traditional and formal styles, and more toward everyday wearability in jewelry, including stacking rings, bracelets and necklaces. “When I think of Princess Diana, I think of her traditional sapphire engagement ring, but these days we are selling more every day, casual engagement rings over formal ones. Syna is a family-owned brand that produces bauble-type stacking rings and bezel-set drop pendants in a variety of colored stones that you can layer with other pieces or wear with a sweater or V-neck, and they’re a far cry from your grandmother’s colored stones.”
Another brand she loves is Alex Sepkus. He takes colored gemstones and sets them in hammered or brushed gold, offering a more raw, rustic feel. “We are seeing a lot of requests for colored stones in tennis bracelets. We just finished an alternating emerald/diamond tennis bracelet that was stunning. Many women like to purchase a colored stone bracelet to stack with their all-white traditional diamond one.”
Baby Arrivals (aka Push Presents):
“Celebrating the birth of a baby is a great opportunity to do some custom work with jewelry or a watch,” says Bianca, and she often incorporates colored stones into this type of gift. “You can begin with a ring, necklace or bracelet design you’ve seen or envisioned and add the baby’s birthstone. Or include your and your partner’s birthstones and engrave the baby’s birthdate on the back of a pendant, the inside band of a ring or on the back of a watch.
“Often, clients want to take one type of push present and build upon it from one child to the next: thin-stacking birthstone rings or pendants, charm necklaces or bracelets are all great buildable options.” Bianca also recommends Monica Rich Kosann’s lockets for new moms, where you can include a baby photo, or her small baby foot charms that can be paired with a locket. “These are a great gift for both a mom or grandmother, and they’re sweet and sentimental.” Another common theme for these kinds of presents is numbers. “If it’s your firstborn, a great option is a Messika Move necklace with one sliding diamond for your first child, or three if it’s your third child, etc. The options are endless, but this is a highly personal type of gift where the wearer often has input.
Graduation:
“Buy them something they’ll never take off, like a little bezel-set diamond or diamond by the yard necklace or bracelet they can shower, party and swim in. This is a great starter piece, and these can range from $700-$3,000,” Bianca suggests. For such a special occasion she says you might want to spend a little more on an everyday piece that is 14k or 18k because the gold won’t tarnish and you won’t keep replacing lesser-value items that are prone to break with everyday wear and tear.
Anniversary:
After several years of marriage, people often rebuild their engagement rings, whether it’s upgrading their diamond size or changing out the whole look. “If you’ve been wearing your ring for years, it probably needs a little TLC. The prongs might be wearing down, especially if worn next to another band. Many women use this time to change their original setting, get a larger diamond or even choose a different colored diamond like yellow or pink,” she says. For a variation of a classic three-stone emerald-cut, for example, she might recommend they choose a center yellow emerald-cut diamond with two side white diamonds.
“We have some clients who just want to rebuild and solidify the original setting, whereas others might want to venture into something totally new. We often see women seeking a larger diamond band, but it may not fit with their first setting. In this case, we see a trend toward right-hand ring finger eternity bands as an anniversary piece.” Bianca explains that while eternity bands have been around for awhile in round brilliant cuts, as with other timeless jewelry pieces the modern twist is to move toward fancy shapes like oval or emerald-cut eternity bands. “You can set these stones horizontally or vertically, which is a variation on a traditional style.”
Evolving or Versatile Jewelry:
“Here at Manfredi, we like the idea of things that can be worn in more than one way, and we also know women in our area are very practical. They’re all very active, whether at work or home, and they want jewelry they don’t have to think or worry about.” One option for those who like to mix up looks without a hassle are versatile earrings that can be worn different ways.
Styles by Mattioli and Messika begin as a dangle, but you can unclip the drop to convert the earrings into studs. Another brand, Gumuchian, makes convertible bangle tennis bracelets which have a row of bezel-set diamonds soldered together on top with a few chain links on either side, and a solid gold bar on the bottom. You can flip the bracelet to the solid side or leave the diamond side showing, a great way to go from day to night or from work to going out.
This solid gold bar may be engraved in classic block or script, or Manfredi can match handwriting (perhaps from a husband or child) for a personal touch. Reversible rings are another option. Imagine a moonstone on one side that can be flipped like a coin to show the other side in polished gold. Shy Creations is another favorite brand that makes 14k convertible pendants, chains and charm necklaces that can be worn alone, or mixed and matched depending on your look.
Where Elm Street Meets Elegance
While Manfredi stays in tune with luxury jewelry trends, they are also a local jeweler deeply woven into the fabric of the town. “There’s very little here we can’t do,” says Bianca—whether it is replacing a watch battery, fixing the chain on your necklace or sourcing stones to create a special custom gift.
With designers, bench jewelers and cutting-edge technology on hand, Manfredi offers a full range of services. “We work with jewelers that use CAD design to create a 3D rendering of your custom design, then we make a 3D-print wax mold of the piece and place the stones in it so you can see your vision come to life before the final production,” she explains. “We also often reimagine heirlooms, such as resetting your grandmother’s diamond brooch into a current ring, pendant or necklace that is modern and fun.”
When asked what she loves most about her job, Bianca doesn’t hesitate: “That’s easy. Anyone who walks in our door is happy and commemorating something or someone. We get to share these milestone moments with our clients, and we strive to do so in a most personal way.”