101-Year-Old Jeweler Shares Her Secret to Staying Sharp and Purposeful

Growing older is inevitable — but slowing down isn’t. Just ask Ann Angeletti, a 101-year-old jeweler from New Jersey who still opens her shop six days a week and insists that retirement simply isn’t for her.

“I can’t stay home,” Ann told ABC 7. “If I retire, I would die.”

A Life Forged in Work and Passion

Ann has been running Curiosity Jewelers in Cresskill, New Jersey, since 1964. The store opens Tuesday through Saturday, from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. But even after those five days, her workweek isn’t done. On the sixth, she drives half an hour to New York City’s Diamond District, tending to suppliers and clients to keep her small business thriving.

Her story reflects more than longevity — it’s a portrait of resilience shaped by decades of grit and purpose.

From Brooklyn to the Diamond District

Born and raised in Brooklyn, Ann learned responsibility early. She left school as a young girl to help run her family’s grocery store. When her husband went off to fight in World War II, she took jobs at a Navy Yard and later as a waitress to make ends meet.

Everything changed in 1964 when she noticed a small vacant shop for rent — just $85 a month. Something in her told her to take the risk. That leap became a lifelong calling. Sixty years later, the store is still in business, now run alongside her daughter and granddaughter.

Her Secret to Staying Sharp

Ann credits her longevity not just to good genes but to structure, self-discipline, and joy in her daily routine.

“You must get up. You must shower. You must eat. You must take care of yourself. You must exercise,” she said.

She believes staying active — mentally and physically — is what keeps her alive. “If you don’t like what you’re doing, then change,” she added with a knowing smile.

Still Shining After a Century

New Jersey is home to roughly 2,600 centenarians, but Ann Angeletti stands out — not only for her age but for her spirit. Her hands, still steady after a lifetime of setting stones and polishing gold, continue to shape more than jewelry — they shape an enduring lesson:

Purpose is the best medicine.

As she puts it simply:

“Work keeps me alive. It’s what I love.”