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                                                                     Exhibit 5.1

March 17, 1999

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

Re:      Michael Anthony Jewelers, Inc. Registration Statement on Form S-3

Gentlemen:

It is our understanding that Michael Anthony Jewelers, Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the "Company"), is filing with the Securities and Exchange
Commission pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, a Registration
Statement on Form S-3 (the "Registration Statement"), which Registration
Statement relates to the registration of 96,000 shares (the "Shares") of the
Company's common stock, $.001 par value per share ("Common Stock") issuable on
exercise of a stock option held by a former officer of the Company.

You have requested our opinion in connection with the Company's filing of the
Registration Statement. In this regard, we have examined and relied on 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.

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 original documents of all documents
submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies. As to facts material to the
opinions expressed in this letter, we have relied on statements and certificates
of officers of the Company and of state authorities.

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 General Corporation Law of the
State of Delaware.

On the basis of and in reliance on the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the
Shares, when issued and paid for in accordance with the terms of the stock
option, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement and to being named in the Registration Statement under
the heading "Legal Matters" as counsel to the Company. This


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Board of Directors
Michael Anthony Jewelers, Inc.
March 17, 1999
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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