As we do every year, we would like to pay tribute to all the jewelry retailers that closed up shop last year.
After the Jewelers Board of Trade found that 852 U.S. jewelry retailers shut their doors in 2018, it looked like the pace of store closures was ebbing at the beginning of 2019. But since then, closings seem to have picked up. We now know that 2019 was a record year for retailers shutting their doors in general. The jewelry industry is not, and has not been, immune.
That doesn’t mean people should get depressed, especially after what seems to have been a solid holiday. But we are clearly seeing a trend where a lot of older jewelers have decided it’s time to pack it in, and there’s no one to carry on the business. While some retailers did cite bad (or at least diminished) sales, retirement seems to be the biggest cause of these closings.
Below is a list of around 100 stores that either closed, or announced they were closing, in 2019. The list was primarily garnered from local news reports.
A few notes: Every store’s story is different. Please click on the source link for more information about a specific retailer. In addition, not everyone listed below is going out of business. Some are closing their brick-and-mortar locations but are carrying on as online or private jewelers.
We also tried to limit this list to stores that are closing permanently. In a few cases, stores are running closing sales, but they plan to reopen—such as Jewelry By Designs in Woodbridge, Va. We tried not to list those.
Along those lines, every year after we publish this list, we hear from at least one store in which the retailer has either changed their mind, found a buyer, or something else. If you have more information you think we should know, please send me an email, and if need be, we’ll add it to the story. (Update: And it appears we have a store that’s reopening this year; see note about Goldsmith in Binghamton, N.Y.) In addition, feel free to contact me if you want to add a name to the list.
There is a certain sadness to compiling a list like this. Some of these stores are more than 100 years old. Many were run by good, honest businesspeople who ran good, honest businesses. And while they may have reached the end of the line, this is our effort to make sure they are not forgotten.
We salute you.
Alabama
Paul’s Diamond Center, Alabaster (Source)
Alaska
Carl’s Jewelers & Gifts, Anchorage (Source)
Arkansas
Antoon’s Jewelers, El Dorado (Source)
Natalie’s Jewelry Box, Paragould (Source)
California
Amir Mozaffarian Fine Jewels, San Francisco (Source)
Classic Rock Custom & Designer Jewelry Store, San Jose (Source)
Gehrkens Fine Jewelry & Design, Los Gatos (Source)
Jan Michaels Jewelry, Pacifica (Source)
K.Jons Diamonds & Gems, Atascadero (Source)
Kokopelli Gallery, St. Helena (Source)
Teel’s Jewelry, Los Gatos (Source)
Ten Window Williams, Eureka (Source)
Colorado
Adjewelation Custom Jewelry and Repair, Montrose (Source)
William Crow Jewelers, Denver (Source)
Connecticut
Mahaiwe Jewelers, Canaan (Source)
Florida
Pasadena Jewelers, South Pasadena (Source)
Illinois
The Diamond Gallery, Naperville (Source)
Tobin Jewelers, Springfield (Source)
Trabert & Hoeffer, Chicago (Source)
Indiana
Erickson Jewelers, Michigan City (Source)
Iowa
McGivern’s Fine Jewelry & Gifts, Davenport (Source)
Louisiana
Stephen Miller Fine Jewelry, Shreveport (Source)
Massachusetts
McTeigue & McClelland, Great Barrington (Source)
Winchester Ltd. Jewelers, Winchester (Source)
Michigan
Dominic’s Fine Jewelry, Sterling Heights (Source)
George Koueiter & Sons Jewelers, Grosse Point Woods (Source)
Mosher’s Jewelers, Port Huron (Source)
Yax Jewelers, Howell (Source)
Minnesota
Bergstrom Jewelers, Minneapolis (Source)
D Copperfield Jewelers, Prior Lake (Source)
David Iver Jewelry Designs, Rochester (Source)
Morningstar Jewelry Repair and Design, Petoskey (Source)
Stephen Vincent Design, Minneapolis (Source)
Mississippi
The Jewel Shoppe, Louisville (Source)
Missouri
Robinson’s Jewelry, St. Louis (Source)
Montana
Fox Fine Jewelers, Great Falls (Source)
Nebraska
Wright’s Jewelers, Lincoln (Source)
Nevada
Robert Ince Jewelers, Reno (Source)
New Jersey
Craig Brady Fine Jeweler, Montclair (Source)
Loft 41 Jewelry Studio, Woodbridge (Source)
Parian & Sons Jewelers, Franklin Lakes (Source)
New Mexico
Shelton Jewelers, Albuquerque (Source)
Skip Maisel’s Indian Jewelry and Crafts, Albuquerque (Source)
New York
Crinzi & Gullo Jewelers, Buffalo (Source)
Goldsmith, Binghamton (Source) (Update: According to this news story, Goldsmith is reopening under new ownership.)
Hofert Jewelers, Kenmore (Source)
Sheridan’s Jewelry, Homer (Source)
North Carolina
Jewels that Dance, Asheville (Source)
North Dakota
White Diamonds, Fargo (Source)
Ohio
Cornwell Jewelers, Athens (Source)
Huff’s Fine Jewelry, Fredericktown (Source)
Oklahoma
Bell Jewelers, Enid (Source)
Oregon
Hanson Jewelers, Roseburg (Source)
The Sunstone Store, Bend (Source)
Pennsylvania
Buddy Bear Jeweler, Merion (Source)
Bruno Fine Jewelers Diamonds by the Waterfall, Mercer (Source)
Gartenberg Jewelry, Chambersburg (Source)
Higashi Fine Jewelry, Lemoyne (Source)
Newtown Jewelers, Newtown (Source)
Kimpel’s Jewelers, Elwood City (Source)
Sack’s Jewelers, Jenkintown (Source)
Watchmaker’s Diamonds & Jewelry, Johnstown (Source)
Wisnosky Jewelers, Tunkhannock (Source)
Wojcik Jewelers, Northern Cambria (Source)
South Carolina
Carolina Jewelers, Orangeburg (Source)
Carters Jewelers, Laurens (Source)
Kosch & Gray Jewelers, Spartanburg (Source)
Paulo Geiss Jewelers, Charleston (Source)
Satterfield’s Jewelry Warehouse, Lexington and Cayce (Source)
Sylvan & DuBose Jewelers, Columbia (Source)
South Dakota
Woelfel’s Jewelry, Mitchell (Source)
Texas
Cavanaugh’s Jewelers, Lufkin (Source)
Jewelzz Corner, Baytown (Source)
Murphey the Jeweler, Tyler (Source)
Peñaloza & Sons, San Antonio (Source)
Select Jewelers, Houston (Source)
Utah
Mack and Son’s Jewelers, St. George (Source)
Vermont
Zayas Jewelers, Woodstock (Source)
Virginia
Courthouse Jewelers, Arlington (Source)
Washington
Alana Antique and Estate Jewelry, Seattle (Source)
Blue Heron Jewelry Co., Poulsbo (Source)
Washington, D.C.
Treasure Trove Jewelers, Washington, D.C. (Source)
Wisconsin
The Diamond Showcase, Wausau (Source)
Freber’s Fine Jewelry, Beaver Dam (Source)
Krumenacher Jewelers, Waukesha (Source)
The Silver-Smith’s Jewelry Store, Montello (Source)
Scroggins Jewelers, Sheboygan (Source)
Many of these stores contributed a lot to both their communities and the industry. Let’s raise a glass to all they’ve contributed, and wish their owners the best as they move on to their next phase in life.
For those of us still in the industry, what thoughts or wisdom do they have to pass on? Here are some samples from the stories above:
Bill Williams, Ten Window Williams: “It’s been a good ride. People have been good to us in the area, and we’ve been good to them. It’s a two-way deal. My dad just loved it. And I did, too.”
Cheryl Durr Smith, Newtown Jewelers: “It’s going to be very emotional. I’m happy, but it’s a chapter—a huge chapter—that’s going to be ending. Lots of memories. Lots of customers. We’re going to miss them. They were awesome.”
Eric Sack, Sack’s Jewelers: “This is a passion. It’s become more than just a career and a profession. It’s a lot of who I am. I don’t know if I’ll ever stop that.”
Philip D’Elia, Pasadena Jewelers: “If you make big purchases or little purchases, my father taught me none of that matters. It’s how you treat people.”
Susan Hofert, Hofert Jewelers: “We want to leave with people just knowing that we cared.”
(Photo: Getty Images)
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