ABOUT US
You could call us “hidden in plain sight”, with the bright bofb shop in a narrow monumental building in the middle of the Rokin in Amsterdam. Founded in 2006 by Bertie Hamers and Johan Boot, my parents.
About 40 years ago, both my father and my mother decided to go to Schoonhoven to (initially) learn the profession of goldsmith. Of course, they get to know each other there, but that is a completely different story. My father chooses to focus his education on becoming a jeweler, my mother knew almost immediately that she wanted to become both a gold and silversmith.
And that has never really changed; My father has always worked on the traditional side of the jewelry/watch trade, my mother in a modern jewelry studio. For over twenty years they practiced what is called “the same” profession, apart from each other. Always with a shared high standard, an eye for quality, and attention for the customer. And if you always want to go the extra mile, you will eventually have to create your own path.
So, in 2006 they decide to join forces. With both of them having their roots for business in Amsterdam for so long, the location for their own shop is found in the center: Rokin 116M, where the dark red classic facade with the 3 golden statues houses an inviting sleek white interior.
This store is a place where they can treat their customers as they themselves would like to be treated in a store. A place where there is time to look at different pieces of jewelry, try on them, discuss options, and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea in peace. A store where my sister (Fransje) and I (Koen) could, and wanted, to jump in and work in the store with during our studies. For obvious reasons, we had seen the energy given to, and gotten from the store at home. A place that my sister left behind after her studies (well, except for those busy hours around the holidays), but for me a place where I realized that this combination of a physical store and a web store, from my father and my mother, of a piece of peace in the center of Amsterdam, is a place where I gladly want to be busy every moment of the day. This has been the shop of my parents since the beginning, but since January 2019 it is just that little more of a family business.
ABOUT YOU
A ring for that one question, a piece of jewelry to celebrate, or to never forget something. We are happy to look at a design with you, show you what is available and what is possible. In a sustainable way, and of course, with honest materials, handmade with love, especially for you, for them, or for the one.
The possibilities are endless; Melting down “old” jewelry, with or without sentimental value, turning the ashes of a loved one into a piece of jewelry that you can wear close to you, finding a way to celebrate that one special occasion. For if you already have one hundred ideas , or no ideas at all. We happily invite you to our store, to view the collection, to try it on, or to discuss plans. You can always walk in, but if you already have a specific wish, it is smart to make an appointment. We would love to welcome you to bofb.
