Diamond anniversaries are well worth celebrating, but so is maintaining a family-owned business through three generations and actually enjoying working together day after day, the Baribault family says.
Baribault Jewelers is celebrating its 75th anniversary with the Glastonbury, Conn., community in mind with plans for monthly events, special jewelry giveaways, and updates to the store, say siblings Lewis Baribault III, Raeann Baribault Schwartz, and Christina Baribault Ortiz.
“For the last 75 years, one thing has stayed constant between my great uncle, who started the business, and my dad: Put your customers first,” Oritz says. “They always say: Remember, it’s not really about the product you’re selling. It’s how you make people feel when they’re in our store. That’s our core philosophy. We are real, honest, and authentic.”
Plus, you better get along well as a family when you not only work together but you also have Tuesday night dinner every week, notes Lewis Baribault III. “There are eight grandkids, all age 12 and under. We have to see each other at the bus stop. You have to work it out, no matter what,” he says.
“When there’s a challenge in the store with anything, we literally can sit at a table and hash it out. And we can come at it from very different perspectives,” Baribault says. “We speak more freely and can even be blunt. But it’s all still said with respect. We’re better problem solvers and work together well.”
“You can’t hold a grudge,” Schwartz adds.
Baribault Jewelers was the first jewelry store in Glastonbury—it was started by Philip Baribault Jr., who wanted a place for people to get innovative jewelry close to his hometown, Lewis Baribault III says. Since 1948 when the store was founded, 19 Baribault family members have worked in the business with the siblings’ father, Lewis Baribault Jr., and his wife, Cathy, taking over the store in 1988.
“It’s a family tradition that’s an honor to uphold,” says Lewis Baribault III. “We’ve grown with the town, so we feel like a real part of the community.”
Ortiz agrees: “We’re laser focused on upping our customer experiences with new products, new merchandising, and cool new spaces within the store,” she says. “It’s our second home, and we want them to feel welcome.”
The store’s milestones over the past seven decades include major renovations with jewelry cases that give customers a shoulder-to-shoulder viewing experience alongside the staff, an onsite workshop for jewelry repairs and custom designs, the brand’s Power to B inspirational bracelet line, and the B Linked permanent jewelry bar.
Baribault Jewelers also recently launched its B Transformed department, where customers can bring in heirloom or unworn jewelry for help redesigning the piece into something they love, Schwartz says.
The store also is getting a new store-within-a-store experience with its Power to B collection, which will have its own special space. This interactive area will give customers a chance to look through all of the brand’s power words and pick out a piece of jewelry that adds meaning to their jewelry box and overall collection.
“Jewelry is a powerful, visual reminder of those special moments in people’s lives. We love helping them pick out the perfect style for them,” says Schwartz. “We’re grateful that we were born into this.”
Top: The Baribault family is celebrating 75 years of business at its family-owned jewelry store in Glastonbury, Conn., where three generations have worked together. From left: Owner Lewis Baribault Jr., Lewis Baribault III, Raeann Baribault Schwartz, and Christina Baribault Ortiz (photos courtesy of Baribault Jewelers).
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