Independents

Retailer Hall of Fame 2021: Terry Betteridge

IndependentsJul 22, 2021

Retailer Hall of Fame 2021: Terry Betteridge

Terry Betteridge descends from a long line of jewelers, but he’s put his own hallmark on the family business.

20210722_Terry NEW.jpg
Fourth-generation jeweler Terry Betteridge, owner of the Betteridge chain of jewelry stores, has been inducted into National Jeweler's Retailer Hall of Fame in the Multi-Store, Independent category.
Editor’s Note: This story first appeared in the print edition of the 2021 Retailer Hall of Fame. Click here to see the full issue.

Greenwich, Conn.—Fate will find you wherever you are.

Terry Betteridge was in the wilderness of British Columbia, Canada, working as a fishing and bow-hunting guide in the summer of 1975, when it came calling.

His father, Bert Betteridge, had suffered a heart attack and needed his son’s help to carry forward the age-old family jewelry business to future glory.

Terry had some big shoes to fill.

Generations of Jewelers
Family-owned jeweler Betteridge can trace its history back to 18th-century Birmingham, England.

At that time, notable silversmith John Betteridge crafted snuff boxes and match holders that were carried in the pockets of well-to-do Englishmen.

In 1892, the Betteridges crossed the pond. Goldsmith A.E. (Albert Edwin) Betteridge Sr. (lovingly known as “the Colonel”) and his wife Lucy were processed through Ellis Island the year it opened, two of millions of immigrants headed to America at that time.

The Colonel would go on to head the International Silver Factory in Meriden, Connecticut, known at the time as “Silver City.”

His son, A.E. Betteridge Jr., opened the first Betteridge jewelry store in the early 20th century in New York City, on Fifth Avenue and 45th Street. Another followed near Wall Street and Broadway in the city’s Financial District.

The family later opened a boutique in the Miami Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida, a historic locale that has been frequented by stars like Judy Garland and Ginger Rogers, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, and former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Betteridge was a celebrated, high-end jeweler of the 1920s and ‘30s, crafting stunning Art Deco designs for the who’s who of the age.

After World War II, A.E. passed the baton to his son Bert, who had served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during the war.

The post-war boom had people moving out to the suburbs in droves and Bert saw an opportunity in tony Greenwich, Connecticut, purchasing W.D. Webb Jewelers and converting it to Betteridge Jewelers.

Bert would run the business for decades, until the summer of 1975, when he suffered that heart attack and made the call to his son, Terry, for help.

By 1978, Terry Betteridge was steering the ship, and he’s remained at the helm ever since.

The Great Unknown
Though Terry descended from a long line of jewelers, he once saw a different path for himself.

“When I was a little kid, I kind of wanted to be a forest ranger,” recalls Terry.

His love of all things wild started young and has stayed with him throughout his life. It makes sense because he’s a little wild himself.

“I’m kind of a risk-taker,” he says. “It could be at a craps table or at a cliff where someone says, ‘I wonder if you can dive off here?’ and I’m gone. I’ve done this all my flipping life.”

Terry channeled his love of nature into a degree in environmental science and considered becoming an environmental lawyer before the jewelry world came calling.

That was maybe for the best, he notes, because his life as a high-end jeweler has allowed him to contribute more to conservation efforts than he would have otherwise been able to do.

He’s donated more than 1,000 acres in the Northeast to a conservation organization. He has 2,000 acres of his own to tend in Vermont as well as around 700 in his home state of Connecticut, and a lumber mill.

Terry finds himself on his land in Connecticut one or two days a week, trimming the fields and building bluebird boxes.

“It does quiet the soul,” he says. “It’s good for you.”

Given his deep love of nature, it seems fitting that Terry would be on board with the growing sustainability efforts in the jewelry world, but it’s not quite that simple.

“It’s the cause of the moment to be sustainable,” he notes, but it, “seems a little artificial and nonsensical. What we do, the way we make our jewelry, we have done the same way for the past couple of hundred years.”

Sustainability is inherent in the existing Betteridge practices, says Terry, like recycling gold.

Terry recalls an anecdote he once heard about American automobile magnate Lee Iacocca visiting a Rolls-Royce factory.

A trailblazer in efficient production, Iacocca asked the president of Rolls-Royce about the last time the assembly line moved. “I believe it moved a week ago last Thursday,” he is said to have retorted.

It’s no different at Betteridge, Terry says, where speed and mass production are not concerns.

“It’s all about the craftsmanship and using these materials we already recycled. Diamonds are recut. Most of the things I get are from an estate,” he says, noting watches are the exception to that rule.

From a dollar-value perspective, a majority of his inventory is estate jewelry, he says.

“I love the old stuff. We’re the ultimate recyclers,” says Terry.

“Each time something is recycled, it picks up a little more history. Recycling infuses the piece with more importance.”

Expanding Horizons
Though Terry may not initially have pictured himself becoming a jeweler, when the opportunity arose, he took it and ran with it.

Under his fourth-generation watch, the family business has grown exponentially, expanding from a single store in Connecticut to affluent towns in Colorado and Florida.

If you can think of a chic American locale, there’s a good chance you’ll find a Betteridge there.

“We look at markets that will give us contact points with exceedingly good customers. These destinations do that,” says Terry.

In 2004, Betteridge acquired jeweler Gotthelf’s in Vail, Colorado, home to the notably fancy Vail Ski Resort. A hub for winter skiing and summer golfing, the small town attracts wealthy visitors year-round.

“I’m kind of a risk-taker. It could be at a craps table or at a cliff where someone says, ‘I wonder if you can dive off here?’ and I’m gone.” — Terry Betteridge

Betteridge met the previous owner, Paul Gotthelf, back in his foot racing days, crashing on Paul’s couch whenever he’d come into town for a race.

He’d also met the store’s employees, who knew and liked him, and he helped out behind the counter now and then, too. When his friend was ready to retire and focus on his mountain biking career, Terry bought the business.

Decked out in dark wood and rich leather, the store’s antler light fixtures are a subtle nod to the rustic mountain surroundings just outside the resort area.

In 2006, Terry got another call from a friend looking to retire and Betteridge made its way to Palm Beach, Florida, acquiring historic jeweler Greenleaf & Crosby.

The previous owner was a friend of Terry’s father, and later of Terry's, when the two shared a hotel room in Basel, Switzerland, during the watch show there.

The store reminded Terry of his own in Greenwich—antique, lovely, and unchanged.

20210722_Betteridge Vail.jpg
Over the years, Betteridge has expanded from one to four locations, opening this store in Vail, Colorado in 2004.

Founded in 1868, the jeweler had been a mainstay on Worth Avenue since the 1920s, as noted by its original Art Deco design.

Its mahogany cases and wall units date back to the days of Standard Oil founder Henry Flagler, whose 75-room, 100,000-square-foot Gilded Age mansion, now a museum, is just minutes away.

Notable for its estate pieces, as well as contemporary designers like Goshwara and Silvia Furmanovich, many of the Palm Beach store’s clientele are collectors with a fine eye. 

“Each time something is recycled, it picks up a little more history. Recycling infuses the piece with more importance.” — Terry Betteridge

Terry and the former owner shared a number of customers who summered in Greenwich and wintered in Palm Beach, so it was a good fit.

In 2014, Betteridge arrived in another well-to-do ski town, Aspen.

For Terry, though, there’s more to Aspen than skiing.

“It is a really, real town, not a ski town. It had been a mining town. It has all these historic structures all over the place, sandstone from the 1880s, and stories about various bank robbers escaping from their jails.”

“I got there and discovered the town is really charming. Beautiful.”

Filled with a love for the town, Terry heeded a friend’s suggestion when he said Aspen should be the next spot for Betteridge.

After a few offers, he acquired family-owned Hochfield Jewelers, located inside The Little Nell Hotel at the foot of Aspen Mountain, which he describes as the go-to place for the town’s social events.

After plotting out his expansion, Terry turned his attention back home.

In 2015, the Betteridge flagship store in Connecticut moved down exclusive Greenwich Avenue to a space three times larger.

It features in-store Rolex, Cartier, and Patek Philippe boutiques and a club space, complete with a stocked bar for customers.

The Future of Betteridge
Betteridge is a family business that just keeps on rolling.

Terry’s son Win and daughter Brooke joined their father, marking a fifth generation of fine jewelers.

Win’s wife Natalie caught jewelry fever as well, working in the store and once writing her own jewelry blog. Avid readers visit the store to see her in particular, says Terry.

It’s a feat to be proud of, says fellow fourth-generation jeweler Lee Berg, founder of Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry, a nine-store family-owned chain based in Louisiana.

A friend of Terry’s for more than 40 years, Berg describes him as “fun-loving” and “somebody who runs an outstanding business.”

“In my eyes, Betteridge is an institution within our industry,” he says.

“Terry’s done an outstanding job of taking a family business and continuing to grow it in a fashion that would make the family proud.”

As much as the business has grown, the perks of being family owned is what keeps Betteridge a private company.

Though Terry says he has fielded offers from the likes of Tiffany & Co., there’s a certain freedom in being able to make your own decisions.

20210722_Betteridge Aspen.jpg
Betteridge’s store in Aspen, Colorado is located inside The Little Nell Hotel at the foot of Aspen Mountain.

Family-run businesses have a strong connection to their surrounding communities and get to be a part of their customers’ lives, an aspect of the job Terry values.

“Betteridge is an institution within our industry. Terry’s done an outstanding job of taking a family business and continuing to grow it in a fashion that would make the family proud.” — Lee Berg, Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry

“You meet people at very good times, when they’re buying for an anniversary or an engagement ring. It’s one of the coolest times in someone’s life, when everything is good, essentially,” he says.

“They’re young and hopeful. They haven’t become old and jaded and shopworn like I have,” he jokes.

Terry’s made a lot of friends over the counter through the years, even meeting his wife that way.

“You become a part of the community in a very real way,” he says.

Decades into his career, as he transitions into, as he puts it, an “old bird,” community outreach has become an increasingly important way for him to give back.

He works with the Greenwich beautification group, a mix of “cool characters,” who plant flowers and back various efforts to keep the town pretty.

“I love that. It gives me a reason to live,” he says.

With hundreds of years of history behind him, Terry foresees Betteridge staying the course in the years ahead, continuing on its jewelry journey—which is catering to sophisticated clientele in lovely locales.

“We don’t seem to have a lot of imagination,” jokes Terry. 

The Latest

Boucheron Impermanence Boucheron Dragonfly Earrings and Wisteria Hair Piece
CollectionsJul 15, 2025
Boucheron’s New High Jewelry Calls Attention to Nature’s Impermanence

The “Impermanence” collection contemplates nature through the Japanese art of Ikebana (flower arranging) and philosophy of wabi-sabi.

James Avery Cedar Park
MajorsJul 15, 2025
James Avery Expands to 2 More States

The Texas-based jewelry retailer has set up shop in Tennessee and Arizona.

Eric Ford, Couture’s new brand director and former fine jewelry buyer at Neiman Marcus
Events & AwardsJul 15, 2025
Neiman Marcus Vet Joins Couture as Brand Director

Eric Ford will step into the role, bringing with him decades of experience.

an instructor and a student in a bench jewelry classroom
Brought to you by
Investing in the Next Generation of Bench Jewelers

The Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship from Jewelers of America returns for a second year.

Guzema Celestial Blue
CollectionsJul 15, 2025
Guzema Debuts First Colored Gemstone Jewelry

The “Celestial Blue” capsule collection campaign features Olympian Kateryna Sadurska.

Weekly QuizJul 10, 2025
This Week’s Quiz
Test your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Take the Quiz
Nanis Mykonos Store Exterior and Interior
MajorsJul 14, 2025
Nanis Opens First Store

The seasonal store, located in Mykonos, Greece, offers exclusive events, personal styling, and curated experiences.

Ethical Gem Fair
SourcingJul 14, 2025
Ethical Gem Fair Heads to Seattle

The trade-only event will host its debut fair in the Emerald City later this month.

Jewelers of America logo with meetup, State of the Majors, giveaway and massages
Brought to you by
Jewelers of America is Headed to Las Vegas for JCK 2025

The countdown is on for the JCK Las Vegas Show and JA is pulling out all the stops.

The Edge and The Edge Retail Academy Logos
Events & AwardsJul 11, 2025
The Edge’s Annual Conference Returns in September

Its sessions will focus on inventory strategies, staff performance, retention and acquisition, emerging market trends, and more.

Miseno Arco Earrings
CollectionsJul 11, 2025
Piece of the Week: Miseno’s ‘Arco’ Earrings

For its 10th anniversary, Miseno designed the “Arco” earrings based on the Arco Felice, an arch conceptualized in A.D. 95 in Miseno, Italy.

James Avery Texas charm
Policies & IssuesJul 11, 2025
James Avery to Donate $1M to Texas Hill Country Relief Efforts

The jewelry company is one of several contributing to relief efforts in the region after the recent floods.

Kelly Osbourne Engagement Ring
TrendsJul 11, 2025
Kelly Osbourne’s Engagement Ring Is Sweet as Honey

Inspired by fiancé Sid Wilson’s nickname for her, the white and yellow diamond ring features a unique honeycomb design.

Penny Preville Anniversary Bangles and Penny Preville
CollectionsJul 10, 2025
Penny Preville Celebrates 5 Decades of Jewelry Design

The brand is marking its 50th anniversary with a limited-edition bangle, high jewelry suites, new collections, and more.

Exterior shot of Alvin Goldfarb Jeweler in Bellevue, Washington
IndependentsJul 10, 2025
Steven Goldfarb to Retire, Close Alvin Goldfarb Jeweler

Goldfarb said changes in the industry, coupled with his age and the updates needed to modernize his business, drove his decision.

LVMH chairman and CEO of the Americas Michael Burke
MajorsJul 10, 2025
LVMH Names New Chairman, CEO of the Americas

Longtime LVMH executive Michael Burke has stepped into the role.

A calligraphy sculptural ring made in 18-karat Fairtrade gold (Photo by: Jamie Trounce)
Events & AwardsJul 10, 2025
IAC Gold and Diamond Conference Returns to NYC

Central topics of next week’s event include climate action, labor rights, artisan preservation, and value retention in producing countries.

Vickie Rokkos
MajorsJul 10, 2025
Hearts On Fire Appoints New Sales Director

Vickie Rokkos has joined the jewelry company as its new national sales director of North America.

Mikimoto The Bows high jewelry necklace
SurveysJul 09, 2025
Jewelry Stays Strong as Luxury Market Slows, Bain & Co. Says

Turbulence will be the new baseline for luxury as it faces its biggest potential setbacks in 15 years, a recent report said.

1 NJ-Supplier-Bulletin-Snake-One.jpg
Supplier BulletinJul 09, 2025
JCK Unwrapped: Trends, Insights & Post-Show Tips

Sponsored by Rio Grande Jewelry Supply

Cece Jewellery For the Love of Fruits Pendants
CollectionsJul 09, 2025
Cece Jewellery’s New Fruit Jewels Celebrate Life’s Sweetness

The “For the Love of Fruits” collection features five fruit pendants, each holding a different meaning.

Graphic showing images from National Jeweler’s top 5 stories 2025
EditorsJul 09, 2025
The Most-Read Stories of 2025, So Far

Diamonds and crimes (some involving diamonds) top the list of National Jeweler’s most popular stories halfway through the year.

 The Dash Diamond Crater of Diamonds State Park
SourcingJul 09, 2025
Florida Couple Finds 3-Carat Diamond in Arkansas

They discovered “The Dash Diamond,” named for their dog, at the Crater of Diamonds State Park earlier this month.

Mikimoto Les Pétales Campaign Imagery and Les Pétales Necklace
CollectionsJul 08, 2025
Mikimoto’s High Jewelry Collection Turns Pearls into Petals

The “Les Pétales” collection imagines roses caught mid-bloom as a tribute to nature’s beauty.

National Jeweler columnist and jewelry sales expert Peter Smith
ColumnistsJul 08, 2025
Peter Smith: Why Jewelers Struggle With Premium Pricing

Luxury brands charge thousands for their shoes and handbags. Jewelers pricing diamond products should take note, Peter Smith writes.

David Rotenberg of David Craig Jewelers
IndependentsJul 08, 2025
David Rotenberg of David Craig Jewelers Dies at 79

Rotenberg was an active member of the American Gem Society and an accomplished appraiser who also worked with therapy dogs at a hospital.

Diamond Divas Cast
TechnologyJul 08, 2025
‘Diamond Divas’ Brings the Showroom to Social Media Reality Series

It follows New York-based brand Shahla Karimi Jewelry’s all-women team in “Say Yes to the Dress” meets “The Office”-style episodes.

SMO Golden Gala
Policies & IssuesJul 08, 2025
SMO Gold Launches New Foundation

In its inaugural year, the SMO Foundation will focus on supporting two organizations in West Africa and one in South America.

×

This site uses cookies to give you the best online experience. By continuing to use & browse this site, we assume you agree to our Privacy Policy