Independents

Here Are the 2022 Retailer Hall of Fame Inductees

IndependentsJun 10, 2022

Here Are the 2022 Retailer Hall of Fame Inductees

This year’s honorees include a pair of retailers known for supporting designers, sisters carrying on the family legacy, and two owners who’ve guided their store through change.

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Meet the 2022 Retailer Hall of Fame inductees, from left to right: Paul Schneider and Lauren Eulau of Twist, Jennifer Gandia and Christina Gandia Gambale of Greenwich St. Jewelers, and Harvey and Maddy Rovinsky of Bernie Robbins Jewelers.
New York—National Jeweler has selected the 2022 inductees for its Retailer Hall of Fame, an annual honor created to recognize jewelers who have made significant contributions to their communities and the industry at large.

This year, National Jeweler is honoring one single-store independent jeweler and two multi-store independents.

Those being inducted into the hall this year are as follows.

Single-Store Independent
Jennifer Gandia and Christina Gandia Gambale of Greenwich St. Jewelers

Multi-Store Independent
Paul Schneider and Lauren Eulau of Twist

Multi-Store Independent
Harvey and Maddy Rovinsky of Bernie Robbins Jewelers

As the current co-owners of Greenwich St. Jewelers in New York City, Jennifer Gandia and Christina Gandia Gambale have drawn on their unique experiences and talents to grow the store their parents opened in 1976 into a prominent destination for innovative designers and clients looking for exciting and distinctive jewels. 

Jennifer’s background in luxury fashion and cosmetics has helped her infuse the family business with marketing expertise, while Christina has used her degrees and experience in business management and gemology to grow and expand the retailer, managing its sales and operations. 

Their combined strengths have led the retailer to new heights, including a new chapter in the family legacy with the relocation of the store to a much larger space in TriBeCa, a neighborhood just north of the original Greenwich St. Jewelers store. 

The retailer has received numerous industry awards and accolades, including the Excellence in Retail Award from the Women’s Jewelry Association. 

Both sisters are also dedicated to giving back to their communities—Christina sits on the board of directors of Diamonds Do Good, and Jennifer is on the advisory board of the Black in Jewelry Coalition, the Couture Diversity Action Council, and New York City Jewelry Week. 

They also emphasize giving back to the industry, responsible sourcing, supporting mentorship and philanthropic causes, and supporting diversity and inclusion in fine jewelry. 

 Related stories will be right here … 

Paul Schneider and Lauren Eulau of Twist took a less conventional route into the jewelry industry.

Both craftspeople in Eugene, Oregon in the mid-1970s, their first business was a co-op of artists selling their own work.

Their business has evolved over the decades, becoming a well-known spot for designer jewelry that now represents more than 100 designers and has stores in Portland, Oregon, and Seattle as well as a strong e-commerce business at TwistOnline.com.

In 2018, Schneider was honored with the Cindy Edelstein Award at Couture, given to an individual who is a true leader in the industry and is dedicated to the success of designers and brands.

Twist also won the Gem Award for Retail Excellence in 2020
Harvey and Maddy Rovinsky are the co-owners of multi-store independent Bernie Robbins Jewelers

Founded in 1962 by Bernie and Lorraine Rosenberg, the retailer began as an appliance store in downtown Philadelphia. 

Harvey joined his future parents-in-law at the store in 1966 when he was only 19, learning important skills from Bernie like the importance of building credibility, trust, and relationships with customers. 

He eventually married the Rosenberg’s daughter, Maddy, and helped his father-in-law guide the company as it went through a series of incarnations. 

The retailer has been under Harvey’s leadership since 1992 and together with Maddy, they have built it into a leading luxury jeweler. 

Bernie Robbins now has five locations across Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

The jeweler is actively involved in its local communities and has formed strong partnerships with many philanthropic organizations, including The Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Albert Einstein Medical Center, AtlantiCare and The Holocaust Resource Center at Stockton University, of which Rovinsky sits on the executive board.

The retailer also has received several awards, including being voted Best of the Shore, Best of Philly, and Best of the Main Line.

Brecken Branstratoris the senior editor, gemstones at National Jeweler, covering sourcing, pricing and other developments in the colored stone sector.

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