Leaving a 'PLACE' where discoveries are made

By John Howell
Posted 3/25/16

Rodney Baril has seen a lot of gems over the years – rubies, emeralds, sapphires, opals and, of course, diamonds. But one stone stands out, and not because it was the biggest or the most valuable, …

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Leaving a 'PLACE' where discoveries are made

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Rodney Baril has seen a lot of gems over the years – rubies, emeralds, sapphires, opals and, of course, diamonds. But one stone stands out, and not because it was the biggest or the most valuable, but rather because it is characteristic of what he has learned to expect and love about his business.

Baril has worked in the jewelry business since he was a student at Worcester Community College in 1968 and needed a part-time job. Now after a career in jewelry, he is leaving Place Jewellers – the old English spelling of jewelers – in Apponaug, which he has owned and operated since 1992.

“The best part of this is the discovery and the customer,” he said in a recent interview from behind a counter with gleaming broaches, rings, bracelets and watches.

Baril was between customers, although it wasn’t too long before the door opened and another long-time customer was asking for his advice, or lured by the discounts being offered, looking over the displays.

Place Jewellers specializes in the sale of estate jewelry. In some cases these are pieces that have been handed down from one generation to the next and may be a couple hundred years old. Some of these pieces were unique and works of art.

In particular, Baril recalls an emerald cut diamond ring. The ring had been in a safe deposit box for decades as it was handed down from one generation to the next. Each owner either feared losing the ring or just felt uncomfortable wearing it, until one family member decided it was time to part with the heirloom and came to Baril.

As it turned out, it was a handsome piece. The diamond was three carats, and Baril sold the ring for $28,000. The family was ecstatic, and the new owner of the ring was thrilled to discover such a treasure.

From his part-time job in Worcester, Baril went to work for Stowells. After training in Boston, the chain made him assistant manager of the Springfield, Mass., store. From there, Zales, the parent company of Stowells, moved him to East Orange, N.J., to manage a Wiss jewelry store they had acquired.

“They just moved me about. I was a body to move,” Baril said.

Next he landed at the Stowells in Warwick Mall, where he stayed for four years before taking a job in the nearby Ross Simons. Baril broadened his skills, taking a course to become a gemologist. Ross Simons was a good fit, but Baril liked the thought of being his own boss.

“After 17 years I decided to take a chance and go out on my own,” he said. It was 1992, and William Grube – who had operated Grube Jewelers at the site of Place Jewellers – had retired the year before. The building was vacant. Baril leased the property, later buying it from Grube. He says it was “one of the best decisions I made.”

He feels he had two advantages from the start. As the building had been a jewelry store since 1951, people knew what to expect. Secondly, in all the years he worked at Ross Simons, he had built up a clientele.

“The buzz got out there,” he says, reflecting on the early years of the business.

Baril picked his middle name “Place” for the business. That was his mother’s maiden name and has much deeper roots stretching back 11 generations to an ancestor who was given a king’s grant in the 1670s for land that is now part of Wickford.

Baril didn’t attempt to compete on a level with Ross Simons. He turned to estate jewelry, seeking out the one-of-a-kind pieces that have made Place unique. It was a good decision, even in today’s world of online sales.

Baril said the Internet has enabled people to educate themselves about gems and costs, and he said it has impacted the engagement ring business. But that’s not the case with estate jewelry because of the unique quality of pieces.

He’s also built more than a niche. He has a following, as illustrated when Linda Carlow entered the store. Like others, she lamented that Baril would be leaving Apponaug – his last day is March 31, when watchmaker Richard Sokol takes full command – and then she elaborated.

“It’s like losing a friend,” she said. “There’s the trust and knowledge; those are hard to find these days.”

Carlow spotted a small teapot. Was it a Peter Pots teapot; was it for sale? Baril said he had had it in the store for as long as he could remember. They talked about Oliver Green when he owned and operated Peter Pots in Apponaug. Baril parted with the teapot for $10.

There are those connections. Baril talks of the people he’s come to know over the years, and now their children are returning to select an engagement ring or a special gift.

Baril has three children and three grandchildren. None of the children, who all live in Massachusetts, wanted to go into the business.

“They don’t want retail, are you kidding,” he said. “They all have good professional jobs and Saturdays off.”

Baril believes there’s a retail future for Apponaug with completion of the circulator project and its series of roundabouts.

“I was leery at first,” he said. “But now I’m convinced it will help revitalize the area.” The roundabouts will help reduce serious injury accidents and improve traffic flow, he said.

Baril plans to remain active doing appraisal work for businesses and buying and selling estate jewelry. He feels he can be helpful to those who don’t know what to offer when given the opportunity to buy an item. Apart from some “teaching,” he also expects to help finance acquisitions.

And then there’s the appeal of a new chapter in his life.

“I’ll have Saturdays off after 45 years,” he said.

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  • davebarry109

    Best to you Rod. Haven't been in in a while but loved your store and your special attention. God Bless. Enjoy the 'rest' of the journey.

    Thursday, March 31, 2016 Report this