Page 7 - BusinessWest March 2, 2026

hampton two years ago.
Aurora now sits in an expanded space on Union Street in East-
hampton; Murning originally operated out of a smaller spot next
door.
“When I walked in there, it was studs, no floor, no ceilings,
completely exposed, it was gutted. And I immediately saw exactly
what I wanted the store to look like,” he said, from the layout to
the color palette, dominated by a blue shade called Salty Dog. “I
wanted something that would aesthetically showcase the midnight
sky, because that’s the only time the aurora borealis comes out. So
there’s significance to everything — the coloring of the store, the
greens, the purples, the blues; those are the colors of the aurora.
“Every jewelry store I’ve ever been in, aesthetically, has always
been kind of white walls, light gray, and aesthetically, I’m not that
kind of person. I’ve always been volume turned up, big color palette.
And people have received it really well.”
But running a business is much more than picking out wall
colors.
“I was nervous in the beginning because I didn’t know I didn’t
know if Western Mass. could handle a luxury store, and I got told by
a few people that this would be better in Boston,” he recalled. “But
I said, ‘you know, 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.”
The ‘luxury’ description, he said, comes from the fact that he
sells more exclusive and higher-quality items — many of which he
designs himself — than other stores.
At the same time, giving back to the community is a priority for
Murning, and he accomplishes this in a variety of ways, from being
a major sponsor of Girls on the Run Western Massachusetts to
sponsoring Easthampton athletic programs.
“The people who run Girls on the Run are amazing people, just
incredible human beings,” he said of the organization, which blends
a life skills curriculum with healthy activity for girls, culminating
with a celebratory 5K run each spring and fall. “It’s a great cause.
I went and volunteered this past fall. They do a Sneaker Soiree
fundraiser, and I told them I’ll raffle off a diamond, and I’ll do some
other stuff to help raise as much money as I possibly can.”
Then there’s a group of Easthampton High School students
Murning has dubbed the Easthampton Sandlot; he even has a
movie poster of The Sandlot that they’ve all signed.
“They’re convinced I’m in the mafia. They think I’m making mil-
lions of dollars and drive a Ferrari,” he joked. “But I have always
encouraged them. And I tell them, ‘if you get a B-plus or better in
school, I will rent a Rolls-Royce and drive you to New York City on
graduation weekend, and I will take you to dinner wherever you
want in New York City.’ This is important to me because I see a lot
of myself in the youth. And I’ve been doing this since I opened the
doors.”
He also just started the Aurora Foundation, to which he’ll dedi-
cate a certain percentage of the year’s revenues to help deserving
but needy local students attend college — with the goal of expand-
ing it to much more good work. And he created the Aurora Achieve-
ment Award, which acknowledges an Easthampton High School
basketball player who shows the most leadership or morale-build-
ing qualities — another program he’d like to expand.
What’s Next
Murning has a few business plans in the works, including the
Foundry on Union, a luxury gift store that will open this summer in
his first, smaller space next door, specializing in corporate gifts. He
also recently released the first engagement ring created for a new
private label called Daybreak. And he’s been making plans to open a
location in Boston, where he said he already has a following.
“Out here, the population is a little less, so we’re hitting some-
what of a ceiling with certain things — it will be heightened again,
then it’ll drop back down, then heighten again and drop back down.
Boston is so consistent because there are so many young people
out there, and they’re going to talk to one another: “where’d you get
your ring? Where’d you get your ring?’”
What they’ll hear is that their friend got it at Aurora Jewelers,
a small business whose owner has some big plans to create more
jewelry — and more memories. BW
“Boston is so
consistent
because there are
so many young
people out there,
and they’re going
to talk to one
another: “where’d
you get your ring?
Where’d you get
your ring?’”
LET’S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS.
If you’re looking for a vehicle to help move your business forward, look no further than the
industry’s most comprehensive commercial lineup. With over 100 years of working
with business owners like you, we know what it takes to get the job done.
CALL US: 413-287-9922
B A L I S E C H E V R O L E T G M C . C O M
BALISE CHEVROLET GMC | 440 HALL OF FAME AVENUE SPRINGFIELD, MA 01105
Business W est << FEATURE >>
MARCH 2, 2026
7