30 | <strong>01945</strong> Marblehead jewelry store now a Newbury Street gem By Anthony Cammalleri Nine years after Lia Davis Lombara, of Marblehead joined forces with her daughters Lexi Colby Lombara and Taylor Davis Lombara to found their glass enamel jewelry company Colby Davis of Boston, the company opened its first retail store on one of Boston’s busiest commercial streets. At the business’ <strong>new</strong> 33 Newbury St. location, which opened in September, Lombara and her daughters pointed to the array of glass cases containing an array of gold and silver jewelry pieces from necklaces with intricately-engraved glass enamel necklaces, to shining bracelets and brooches. In 2014, Lombara and her daughters were on a family vacation in Greece. Lombara, who owned her own jewelry line roughly 10 years prior to the family trip, wanted to get back into the business — this time with her 15-year-old daughters. “It was time for the girls to get jobs. They were at that age where they could get up and start either babysitting or working for different restaurants or serving ice cream. I said ‘Would you like to join me and start a company together?’ and they said ‘yes.’” Lia Davis Lombara, center founded Colby Davis of Boston with her Starting with online sales, Colby Davis of daughters Lexi Colby, left, and Taylor Davis, in 2014. Boston grew to attract customers at specialty STAFF PHOTOS: SPENSER HASAK shows and boutiques across the country. Today, Lombara said the brand’s uniquely-crafted glass said the experience of starting and enamel jewelry can be found in more than 35 running a successful company with her retail spaces throughout the country. mother taught her valuable skills that she Although the jewelry's signature process posed said she wouldn’t have been able to attain initial challenges at the company’s nascent stage, with a standard summer job. it eventually evolved into a high-quality, madein-Massachusetts product that Lombara said just working, obviously, to make some “They [Lexi’s high school friends] were pays homage to its New England roots with its money and we've had a chance to make nautical imagery. some money but also do something that “The beginning was challenging because we we could potentially do more with. It work with the glass enamel process, which is wasn’t just going to work, it was a career,” extremely challenging. If you don't get the exact Lexi said. process correctly, it can crack or chip” Lombara said. “Ours is really the best quality glass enamel Now, as the family business settles into that you’ll see in the country… It’s everything its Newbury Street location, Lombara related to New England, the coast, the ocean, the added her son PJ to the team as a beach —everything we love.” designer. The family crew, now working The Boston boutique also sells products from a empowering at such a young age,” Taylor in preparation for a holiday party planned number of local artisans, including paintings by said. “It was really nice to be able to do for Dec. 14. the Marblehead artist Forrest Rodts, which hang that in high school and continue to do Lombara said that while she can on the wall and can be purchased at the Newbury that through our lives in college and now envision her business expanding in the Street store. our adult years.” future, the Colby Davis company is Taylor, who balances working as a nurse with Lexi Lombara, who serves as an advisor currently focused on making the most of her sales job at the <strong>new</strong> Newbury Street location, for business operations, development, and its <strong>new</strong> storefront. said working with her mother gave her the strategic marketing, said that while her “It will definitely continue to grow and opportunity to help grow a business from the high school friends worked jobs at local potentially to other stores. Right now, ground up. restaurants or ice cream parlors, she was we're just really happy with what we've “It was definitely a really cool opportunity forging a career. got going on, but we're open for anything to work with our mom, and then also to be Now, as she forges a career in the in the future and in the next four years. I a women-run company I think was really 45 restaurant management business, Lexi see us doing other stories,” Lombara said.
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