Locally owned and operated jewelry store The Aspen Hive in downtown Aspen is a unique business that empowers locals and celebrates the strong women who helped build the shop into what it is today. The Hive’s owner, Cynthia Jankowski, was a buyer for Aspen Goldsmith; when that shop closed, she opened The Aspen Hive in its former space on East Cooper Avenue. Jankowski has made it a point to keep the business approachable for area residents. “Locals need a place to shop, a place to feel welcomed and not pushed out,” she says. After spending 10 years working in the same spot that her mother shopped in as a little girl, she decided to keep the mom-and-pop tradition alive in the town’s landmark store. “This space in our little town has housed a jewelry store for over 50 years,” Jankowski shares. “The names of the store have changed, but everyone always remembers the space as a jewelry store. I want to keep the legacy going.”
The moniker Aspen Hive honors the strong, local group of women who supported Janowski in her endeavor. In keeping with the name, Jankowski decided to almost exclusively carry female goldsmiths and women designers from the U.S. As she points out, “Girl bees build a hive.” And that’s exactly what this store is. theaspenhive.com
