EXHIBIT 5.1
                                                                     EXHIBIT 5.1
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February 18, 2002




Board of Directors
Michael Anthony Jewelers, Inc.
115 South MacQuesten Parkway
Mount Vernon, New York  10550

Gentlemen:

         Michael Anthony Jewelers, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"),
intends to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended, a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (the "Registration
Statement") with respect to 300,000 shares (the "Shares") of the Company's
common stock, par value $.001 per share (the "Common Stock"), to be issued by
the Company upon exercise of warrants issued to Almond International, Inc. on
December 22, 2000 (the "Warrant"). Capitalized terms not defined in this letter
have the meanings given to them in the Plan.

         You have requested our opinion in connection with the Company's filing
of the Registration Statement. In this connection, we have examined and relied
upon originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction
as being true copies, of all such records of the Company, all such agreements,
certificates of officers of the Company and others, and such other documents,
certificates and corporate or other records as we have deemed necessary as a
basis for the opinions expressed in this letter, including, without limitation,
the Company's Certificate of Incorporation and the Registration Statement.

         In our examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures,
the legal capacity of all natural persons, the authenticity of all documents
submitted to us as originals and the conformity to authentic original documents
of all documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies.

         We have investigated such questions of law for the purpose of rendering
the opinions in this letter as we have deemed necessary. We express no opinion
in this letter concerning any law other than the laws of the State of Delaware.

         This opinion is being rendered to you as of today. The opinions
expressed herein assume that there is no change in the facts, circumstances and
law in effect on the date of this opinion, particularly, as they relate to
corporate authority and the Company's good standing under Delaware law. We have
assumed the Company will remain in good standing as a Delaware corporation at
all times when shares of Common Stock are issued pursuant to the Warrants.


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         On the basis of and in reliance on the foregoing, we are of the opinion
that the Shares of the Common Stock to be issued pursuant to the Warrants, when
and if issued in accordance with the terms of the Warrants, will be legally
issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

         The opinion in this letter is rendered only to the Company in
connection with the filing of the Registration Statement. We consent to the
filing of this letter as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. The opinion
may not be relied upon by the Company for any other purpose. This letter may not
be paraphrased, quoted or summarized, nor may it be duplicated or reproduced in
part.

                                                 Very truly yours,



                                                 BENESCH, FRIEDLANDER,
                                                  COPLAN & ARONOFF LLP














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