Page 6 - BusinessWest March 2, 2026

James Murning has ambitions to expand his brand, including
in Boston.
“I mean, growing up around my great-grandparents and seeing
my great-grandfather get into his light blue Cadillac and open the
door for my great-grandmother was … well, you don’t see that kind
of culture anymore. It’s just gone. So if I can keep some of that still
living, I’ll totally try to do that.”
But Aurora Jewelers has been a success in the bottom line as
well.
“Our first full calendar year was 2024, and it was great — way
better than I ever expected. In 2025, we did 39% higher. So it just
keeps growing,” he said. “There are many factors that come into
play when you have a brick-and-mortar jewelry store, not an online
business. You just hope that people want to come in and have a
conversation. That’s really important. I think COVID really hurt that
whole atmosphere of people just wanting to talk to people.”
On a recent afternoon in the Easthampton store, Murning was
happy to talk to BusinessWest about the early success of his busi-
ness, the ways he gives back to the community, and why he’s grati-
fied by all of it.
Shades of a Career
Murning’s path into the jewelry business started at a Sunglass
Hut in West Hartford, which he managed when he was around 20
years old. He struck up a friendship with members of the Hannoush
family who operated one of their stores there, and was eventually
offered a job.
“Joe Hannoush [one of the company’s eight founding brothers]
essentially took me in, and his kids are the ones who molded me
to the person I am today. Without them, there would be no Aurora
Jewelers. Joe was a staple in my career.”
He credits several other mentors with influencing him along the
way, including Marc and John Green of Lux Bond & Green, a family
jewelry business with a 127-year history.
“I managed one of their locations in Glastonbury, Connecticut
— a Rolex store,” Murning said. “And I was very honored to be able
to go to Rolex trainings, which not many people get to do. To put
myself in that position, where I was able to be inside the room with
all these Rolex executives, was a really big thing.”
He also took some courses with the American Gem Society and
eventually got to the point where he felt comfortable opening up his
own jewelry store, and Aurora Jewelers opened its doors in East-
“Everybody
deserves some
type of luxury. It
doesn’t matter if
you’re a farmer
or if you’re a
construction
worker, it doesn’t
matter. People
like to feel good.”
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6 << FEATURE >>
MARCH 2, 2026
Business W est