After 103 Years in Business, This Illinois Independent Is Closing
The owner of Sandberg Jewelers in Skokie, which has been in operation since 1919, is retiring.

Sandberg Jewelers owner Susan Sandberg announced via Facebook earlier this week that she is retiring and closing the store her grandfather and great-uncle founded 103 years ago.
Susan told National Jeweler that COVID-19 acted as the catalyst for a decision she described as “bittersweet.”
“My business was going at a good speed before COVID, before we had to shut down. And that really changed the whole landscape for us,” she said. “We never bounced back from that.”
The pandemic caused them to lose customers and sales, since people were going out less and, as a result, needing less jewelry.
Susan also noted that hiring became difficult following the pandemic, with the store still short-staffed nearly three years after COVID caused shutdowns nationwide.
“I’ve worked harder in the last three years than I have in my whole career,” she said. “I’m tired.”
The difficulties brought about by the pandemic, coupled with changes in the jewelry industry—vendors selling directly to customers, rising insurance costs and crime, the growing prevalence of lab-grown diamonds, and the specter of another recession—have diminished the pleasure Susan once derived from the business.
It all has her feeling like she is “working harder for less.”
“It’s bittersweet,” she said. “I’m disappointed, but my fourth generation isn’t ready, willing, and able to carry on.”
“At the same time, I am very proud I was able to carry it through the third generation. And you know I’m going to have to retire at one point. All signs are pointing to now.”
Philip Sandberg Sr. (Susan’s grandfather) and his brother, Frank Sandberg, first opened Sandberg Jewelers on Chicago’s Milwaukee Avenue.
The business relocated to the city’s Irving Park neighborhood in the 1950s.
Susan and her sister, Karen Sandberg, moved the store one final time, to its current location in the Village Crossing Shopping Center in Skokie, Illinois.
Sandberg Jewelers started its going-out-of-business sale with a special preview for VIPs this week and will open it up to the general public Friday, with merchandise marked down as much as 70 percent.
It will continue until the store runs out of merchandise or on Christmas Eve, “whichever comes sooner,” Susan said.
In retirement, she said she plans to continue to “dabble” in jewelry—she is keeping her bench and her laser welder—and volunteer with Safe Families for Children, which works to help at-risk children.
The Latest

This year’s honorees include a Midwest retailer and two multi-store independents, one in New York and the other in New England.

As an homage to iconic crochet blankets, the necklace features the nostalgic motif through a kaleidoscope of cabochon-cut stones.

Discover the dozen up-and-coming brands exhibiting in the Design Atelier for the first time.

When investing in your jewelry business, it's important not to overlook the most crucial element of success: the sales associates.

The “Royal Ruby” Collection is a quintet of untreated rubies curated by collector Jack Abraham.


The entrepreneur and “Shark Tank” star will share his top tips for success.

Two existing executives have been given new roles.

More shoppers are walking out without buying. Here’s how smart jewelers can bring them back—and the tool they need to do it right.

Meredith Tiderington, an electrical engineering student, was selected for the award.

It will quit assigning the stones specific color and clarity grades in favor of applying “new descriptive terminology.”

From design trends to sustainability, here’s a roundup of can’t-miss education sessions at JCK Las Vegas.

The Jewelers’ Security Alliance offers advice for those attending the annual trade shows.

Her new role is director of strategic initiatives.

The designer is embracing bold pieces with weight to them in “AU79,” a collection she celebrated with a creative launch party.

On an earnings call, CEO J.K. Symancyk discussed what’s working for the company and how it’s preparing for the potential impact of tariffs.

The index partially rebounded after months of decline, due in part to the U.S.-China deal to temporarily reduce import tariffs.

The actress stars in the latest campaign set in Venice, Italy, and is set to participate in other creative initiatives for the jeweler.

The company has joined other labs, including GIA and Lotus Gemology, in adopting the Chinese term for "jadeite jade."

The large stone will be offered at its June sale along with a selection of secondary-type rubies from a new area of the Montepuez mine.

Located in Bangkok, the laboratory is Gemological Science International’s 14th location worldwide.

Those born in June have a myriad of options for their birthstone jewelry.

The diamond industry veteran has been named its senior sales executive.

The company plans to raise the prices of select watches to offset the impact of tariffs.

Between tariffs and the sky-high cost of gold, designers enter this year’s Las Vegas shows with a lot of questions and few answers.

Designed by founder Renato and his daughter Serena Cipullo, it showcases a flame motif representing unity and the power of gathering.

However, the tariffs remain in effect in the short term, as an appeals court has stayed the U.S. Court of International Trade’s decision.

The pop icon is one step closer to launching her “B Tiny” jewelry collection, a collection she first began posting about last fall.