Our story
The word Byzantine comes from the eastern part of the Roman Empire, dating from A.D. 330 when Constantine 1 rebuilt and made it his capital.
Byzantine Jewelry was established in 1996 by the owner Mark Ocal. Mark is a third generation goldsmith and jeweler, who learned his trade in Istanbul, Turkey.
Most of the pieces you will find in our store were created by Mark. He specializes in Art Deco, and Art Noveau. We are able to offer the finest jewelry at some of the lowest prices you will find anywhere. The reason for this is because we purchase or make our own settings and carefully choose the finest diamonds and precious stones one by one. Mark personally combines them to create some of the most beautiful finished jewelry available at any price.
At Byzantine Jewelry we offer a lite-time guarantee on your purchases from us with free cleaning for as long as you own it. We also allow you to upgrade with no price penalties.
Custom designs are the house specialty. If you have a stone from an old setting and you wish to have it in yellow gold, white gold, platinum, or both, Mark is the artist for you. Working carefully with you from concept to design to the finished piece, Mark pays attention to the smallest detail. Your satisfaction is always our highest priority.
We are located at 1530 Pacific Ave. in the heart of Downtown Santa Cruz. You will find a relaxed, friendly atmosphere where our customers become our friends.
