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How Athena Gaia works: from Greek workshops to your jewelry box
Athena Gaia is an American-owned online store that sells authentic, handcrafted jewelry made in Greece. Founded in 2004 by Peter Bradley and later built into its current form with Joanne Borek, the store represents a small, personally chosen group of Greek jewelry workshops — some of the most respected artisans in the country — and brings their work directly to customers around the world, primarily in the United States.
This page explains exactly how that works: who makes the jewelry, how your order gets placed, what happens in Greece, and how it reaches your door.
Who we are
Athena Gaia is run by Pete and Joanne Bradley, based in Bernardsville, New Jersey. Pete first visited Greece in the early 2000s, and after surviving the September 11 attacks at the World Trade Center, made the life-changing decision to move his family to Athens. Three days after the 2004 Athens Olympics, he bought a Gerochristo cross and sold it on eBay. That was the beginning.
Over the past twenty years, Pete and Joanne have built relationships — genuine, lasting friendships — with a small group of Greek jewelry workshops. They have attended the Athens International Jewelry Show, traveled throughout Greece, visited studios and family homes, and over time become the primary international representatives for several of the country's most celebrated makers.
Joanne brings a background in e-commerce, photography, and digital media — she was a creative director at Havas and McCann in New York, an NYU professor, and an RIT-trained photographer. Together, Pete and Joanne operate Athena Gaia as a family business that deals exclusively with family businesses.
Step 1: We only represent artists we'd personally vouch for
The workshops Athena Gaia represents are not found through a supplier directory or a trade catalog. Each one was sought out, visited in person, and chosen based on the quality of their craft, the integrity of how they work, and the depth of the relationship Pete and Joanne have built with them over years.
These are among Greece's most celebrated jewelry makers — internationally recognized, featured at major jewelry fairs, worn at Paris Fashion Week, and honored with industry awards including multiple JCK Jewelers' Choice Awards. Their work has been covered by Vogue Greece, The New York Times, and The National Herald. Several of the workshops have been active for generations.
The designers Athena Gaia currently represents include:
- Gerochristo — pioneers of Byzantine-inspired fine jewelry in sterling silver and gold, based in Athens' Plaka district. Pete has worked with Spiros Gerochristo since the very beginning; in 2006 he celebrated selling 100 pieces in a single month by sending Spiros a bottle of Dom Pérignon.
- Maramenos & Pateras — makers of heirloom-quality 18k gold jewelry, including bespoke gemstone necklaces and pieces that can be customized to order.
- Kouzoupis — known for bold, architectural designs rooted in ancient Greek motifs, including a celebrated geometric collection.
- Yianni — sterling silver, with a modern sensibility and strong following among collectors.
- Stilvi — distinctive contemporary designs including the Pearl Olive collection, a signature line that blends Greek symbolism with wearable everyday jewelry.
- Al'Oro — delicate 14k gold pieces, fine and timeless.
- Evangelatos — one of the earliest designers Pete worked with; known for refined cross pendants and devotional jewelry.
Pete and Joanne have met the families behind these workshops. They have shared meals with them, traveled with them, and visited their studios. Their reputation as a store is directly tied to the quality and integrity of these makers — which is exactly why the selection is small and the relationships are deep.
Step 2: We curate the collection
Athena Gaia offers one of the largest online selections of authentic, handcrafted Greek jewelry available anywhere in the world. The collection spans sterling silver and 14k and 18k gold, across rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, crosses, pendants, cufflinks, and chains — organized both by category and by designer.
Beyond what is listed on the website, Pete and Joanne can often source pieces that are not yet photographed or catalogued. If you are looking for something specific — a particular motif, metal, or style — it is worth calling or emailing directly. The connection to the workshops is close enough that custom or unlisted requests can frequently be fulfilled.
The store also maintains curated editorial collections organized by theme: Art History collections exploring the Greek Key, Byzantine tradition, the Evil Eye, and ancient mythology; Mood collections built around the sea, the sun, and the olive; and Religious collections covering baptism crosses, Orthodox pieces, and devotional jewelry for gifts and milestones.
Step 3: You order through us
When you place an order on athenagaia.com, it goes directly from Athena Gaia to the workshop responsible for making that piece. This is not a warehouse fulfillment model — there is no inventory sitting in a New Jersey storage unit. The order is transmitted to Greece, where the artisan begins work.
Pete and Joanne are also reachable by phone at +1 (862) 222-0442, seven days a week. Many customers prefer to call before ordering, particularly for higher-value pieces, gifts, or anything requiring sizing or customization guidance. Pete and Joanne know the collection well enough to help match the right piece to the right person, and can advise on everything from ring sizing to metal choice to lead times.
For customers who want flexibility on timing and payment, Athena Gaia offers a 50% deposit option at checkout: you pay half when you order, and the balance is billed automatically when the piece is ready to ship from Greece.
Step 4: They craft it in Greece
Most pieces sold by Athena Gaia are made to order. This is not a limitation — it is the point. It means the piece you receive has been made specifically for your order, by hand, in Greece, by the artisan whose name is on it.
Production times vary by workshop and by piece, and are stated clearly on each product listing so you know before you order. Timelines range from as little as 10 days to around 5 weeks, with most pieces averaging 3 to 4 weeks in production. Complex pieces, custom requests, or orders placed during busy periods may take longer. Athena Gaia communicates proactively about timing, and the partial payment system was introduced specifically to give customers a sense of ease during the wait.
Every piece is stamped with the artist's mark and the metal quality — sterling silver, 14k gold, or 18k gold — as a guarantee of authenticity. This hallmarking tradition is a legal requirement in Greece and a point of pride for the workshops.
Greece has one of the oldest jewelry-making traditions on earth — over 6,000 years. The workshops Athena Gaia works with are participants in that living tradition, not reproductions of it.
Step 5: We handle the whole journey
For US customers, Athena Gaia manages every element of the international transaction so that the checkout price is the price you pay.
This includes:
- Shipping from Greece to your door, with tracking
- Customs and import duties — absorbed or managed so there are no surprise charges at delivery
- Exchange rate handling — all pricing is in US dollars, with no hidden currency conversion fees
- Tariff and import fee management — particularly relevant given recent changes in US trade policy; Athena Gaia monitors this and ensures customers are not caught off guard
Free shipping is available on US orders over $300. Returns are accepted in accordance with the store's published return policy.
The goal is a transaction that feels as simple as buying from a domestic retailer, even though the piece is being made by hand, in Athens, and shipped across an ocean.
Frequently asked questions
How long does delivery take? Production time varies by piece and by workshop, and is clearly stated on each individual product listing — so you always know before you order. Timelines range from as little as 10 days to around 5 weeks, with most pieces averaging 3 to 4 weeks in production. Add international shipping time on top of that. Pieces marked "Athena Express" are in stock and ship much faster.
Is the jewelry really made in Greece? Yes. Every piece is made by the specific Greek workshop listed on the product page. Each piece is hallmarked with the artist's stamp and metal quality mark, as required by Greek law.
Can I order something I don't see on the website? Often, yes. Pete and Joanne have direct relationships with all of their workshops and can frequently source pieces that haven't been photographed or listed yet. Call or email to ask.
What if I need help choosing? Call Pete and Joanne directly at +1 (862) 222-0442. They are available seven days a week and will give you the attention of the ownership, not a customer service script.
What about sizing for rings? The website includes a Greek-to-US ring size conversion guide. If you are unsure, Pete and Joanne can advise — and their local jeweler in Bernardsville, NJ (R. Weiss Jewelers) can assist with sizing adjustments after delivery.
Are there any surprise fees at delivery for US customers? No. Athena Gaia manages customs, duties, and import fees for US orders. The price at checkout is the price you pay.
What payment options are available? Athena Gaia accepts all major credit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and USDC. A 50% deposit option is available for customers who prefer to pay in installments.
A note on what makes this different
There are many places to buy jewelry online. There are even other stores that sell Greek jewelry. What Athena Gaia offers is something harder to replicate: two decades of direct relationships with the people who make the work, a curation built on personal knowledge rather than catalog browsing, and the willingness to pick up the phone.
Pete's grandfather, Barney — a furniture salesman from Dublin, Georgia — put it plainly: "Whether someone is buying a small gift or a dining room set, they are trusting you with their hard-earned money. It may have taken them a year to save for it or just a few hours. Either way, it represents a piece of their life and effort that they are placing in your hands."
That is the philosophy Athena Gaia operates by.
Athena Gaia · athenagaia.com · +1 (862) 222-0442 · Available 7 days (EST) Featured in: Vogue Greece · The New York Times · The National Herald · Paris Fashion Week · JCK Jewelers' Choice Awards · Vicenza Oro