As a society, we’re almost freakishly obsessed with everything shiny and new: the latest iPhone release (have you upgraded?); hot-off-the-runway fashion trends (ahem, guilty—see “Big Earrings, Light Mood at Spring 2016 New York Fashion Week“); up-to-the-minute tools and technology for your store (ahem, guilty again—see “Dream Machines: 5 Non-Jewelry Essentials for Your Store“). But “newest” doesn’t necessarily mean “the best”—especially when it comes to retailers. These 10 jewelers stand as the oldest independent jewelry retailers in the country. The youngest? A spry 159 years. Collectively, they boast an astonishing 1,824 years of experience. They’ve weathered wars, recessions, and natural disasters (one store made it through three fires!). So what’s the secret to their longevity? Honesty. Respect. Relationships. And the ability to honor the old while embracing, yes, the new.
Top: inside San Francisco mainstay Shreve & Co. in 1909