EASTHAMPTON — There’s a helping of glitz and glam dawning on the horizon in the city.

This week, luxury jewelry store Aurora Jewelers will open its 106 Union St. doors on Saturday with a grand-opening celebration.

The store’s owner, James J. Murning III of Southampton, said the choice to set up shop was a bit of a no-brainer as he often frequents Easthampton with his family and has witnessed the growth in the city firsthand.

“This is honestly the best place to be in Western Mass,” he said.

Murning, a native of Torrington, Connecticut, has worked in the industry for 16 years and is a product of Hannoush Jewelers.

He first met members of the Hannoush family when he was 20 years old and working at a part-time job at Westfarms shopping mall in Farmington, Connecticut. On numerous occasions, the younger generations of the family would come by and chat with him about sports until one day the older generation offered him a job with their company. Murning decided to give it a shot and began selling Chamilia and Pandora charms.

Over time, he began dipping his toe into the other cases and learning more about colored stones and luxury watches. His career in the industry was solidified after he was asked to cover a shift at the West Hartford location. While another worker was tied up with a customer, Murning recalls helping a walk-in customer who was looking for a particularly expensive Breitling Navitimer watch and was able to close the deal. Though he had no knowledge of the brand at the time, Murning says that the experience was monumental as it earned him a permanent spot at the Westfarms location, which he calls the “Yankee Stadium of the jewelry industry.”

Since then, he has also managed Lux Bond & Green in Glastonbury, Connecticut, and has received training for high-end brands like John Hardy, Breitling and David Yurman.

Through his experience in the industry, Murning says he wants to implement the luxury side of jewelry into his Easthampton store, which was formerly home to Vapers Haven. The name of the store was inspired by witnessing the Northern Lights on Murning’s honeymoon with his wife.

Aurora Jewelers specializes in artisan design engagement and wedding rings with both lab-grown and natural diamonds. Murning prides himself on his store’s exclusivity and designers with attention to details, being one of a select few dealers to carry certain brands, such as Noam Carver’s “vibrant and breathtaking” engagement rings. Aurora Jewelers is only the second dealer of the award-winning Canadian designer’s product, according to Murning.

Another specialty of the store, which is also one of Murning’s biggest passions, is timepieces.

“I can say with absolute conviction that no matter what luxury watch that someone is looking for — I can find it,” he said. “I have sources all across the country and gray market dealers that I deal with in Paris and England and in Madrid.”

Access to grandeur

Throughout his career, Murning has had several mentors who instilled in him the desire to create an experience as “jewelry is a luxury, not a necessity.” And as such, he wants to give customers the experience of feeling like Marilyn Monroe being draped in Mikimoto pearls or Elizabeth Taylor in diamonds.

For those in the market for an engagement ring, he wants to ease the stress of sailing on uncharted waters through each step of the process — sizing, color, cut, style and fit.

“My No. 1 goal is making sure you pick out the right ring,” he said. “There’s so much that goes into making jewelry. Some pieces can take years to make — you’re literally buying a piece of artwork and that should be celebrated.”

His new store will offer a spa day for rings with free cleanings and complimentary wine to clients.

And though opulence sits front and center at his new shop, Murning says his jewelry is not unreachable.

“There is no budget too small, nor too big,” he said. “I just want to make people feel comfortable when they come in, that they can shop with confidence and some peace of mind knowing that they’re getting a great quality piece.”

He is also offering complimentary watch battery replacement and appraisals for all active and veteran military, law enforcement, firefighters and EMTs.

Aurora Jewelers grand-opening celebration will take place from 3 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, and offer food from Frank & The Homies food truck and beer from Abandoned Building Brewery. The event will feature community door prizes from The Lift Salon Easthampton, The Black Labyrinth Tattoo Syndicate, The Verb is Herb, Silver Spoon Restaurant, and more.

Aurora Jewelers is slated to be open Tuesday and Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.