Michigan’s DeVries Jewelers Unveils New Location in Time for the Holidays

Grand Rapids, Mich.—DeVries Jewelers has opened its new store, just in time for the holiday rush. 

The fifth-generation, family-owned independent jeweler in Grand Rapids, Michigan, cut the ribbon on its new two-story store last week, located down the street from its previous location.

Looking to expand into a bigger space, co-owners and brothers Dan and Dave DeVries purchased a property down the street with more than triple the space, with demolition beginning in January of this year.

It was time for an update, Dan DeVries said in an interview with National Jeweler, as the retailer has been in business since 1901 and had been in its previous location since 1955.

“This obviously is a major update, but it’s a little more fitting for where we’ve grown our business to,” said Dan.

“It's kind of like we’re real now. We stepped out of ‘mom and pop’ into ‘Oh, they’re real jewelers now.’”

Construction on the new store began in February, with help from Grand Rapids-based Pinnacle Construction Group and interior design firm r.o.i. Design.  

It was important for the jeweler to use local businesses, he said.

DeVries Jewelers closed its previous location on Nov. 25, and had a soft opening for the new store on Nov. 29, with an official dedication held on Dec. 11.

Opening a new location that close to Christmas may not be for the faint of heart.

The initial plan was to hold a grand opening before Thanksgiving, but there was a special project holding up the works.

The jeweler wanted to bring its well-known and well-loved horseshoe-shaped circa 1950s jewelry case into its new space. But it needed refurbishing, which took a bit longer than expected.

The jeweler also was waiting on the delivery of other showcases to fill the space, but as the holiday season crept closer, a decision had to be made.

It was a labor of love, and there was the temptation to wait until everything was perfect for a grand opening, said Dan, but a January debut would be too late.

“It put a lot of pressure on us, but at the end of the day, I think it was the right move,” he said.

The new location has more than triple the space of its previous store, bringing it from a one-story store measuring 1,600 square feet to a two-story space of 6,000 square feet.

DeVries Jewelers’ new storefront has a brick exterior and high windows to complement the historic building architecture on Leonard Street.

Though the store has moved three times in its history, the locations always have been within the same two blocks of Leonard Street.

Its vaulted main floor showroom spans 2,150 feet, with a dedicated bridal department, and a second-floor balcony that overlooks the showroom.

The retailer now has the space to introduce more jewelry lines, including Sloane Street Jewelry, Jennifer Dawes Design, Amden Jewelry, and Yael Design, and expand the area for the Frederick Sage line.

The main floor also features an on-site repair shop and service area.

The second floor includes an event space, which can host trunk shows or other shopping events, and a bar for special occasions.

The retailer also has a private parking lot with 25 spaces, in addition to a 50-space lot shared with other local businesses.

Dan said it’s been an adjustment working in a larger space, away from the familiar layout of the old store.

To better serve customers in the new store, the jeweler has plans to expand its team.

The store currently employs 13 people, both part-time and full-time, and plans to hire four to five additional employees for the new location.

The updated store has attracted some new customers, said Dan, and welcomed back longtime clients.

“The feedback has been really good. I’ve been talking [to my customer base] about doing this for the last 10 years so a lot of my regular customers, they’re super excited for us,” he said.

“I don’t know how many bouquets of flowers we’ve been sent, which is really kind of crazy. I should be sending them something, and they’re sending me something.”

The jeweler has invested in its community, said Dan, and said the locals appreciate it.

Grand Rapids Chamber Membership Engagement Manager Todd Anderson attended the opening event, alongside other officials, to congratulate the retailer on its contributions to Leonard Street.

“Family-owned, multi-generational businesses like DeVries Jewelers are the backbone of this community,” Anderson said at the store’s grand opening. 

“DeVries invested in Grand Rapids’ West Side neighborhood more than 120 years ago, way before the West Side was the hot development market that it is today. The Grand Rapids Chamber thanks DeVries Jewelers for its personal investment in Grand Rapids, the West Side, and the Leonard Street business corridor, and we appreciate how the business has helped grow the neighborhood to what it is today.”

DeVries Jewelers was founded in 1901 by Siebern DeVries, great-grandfather of the current owners.

Siebern started off selling jewelry and eyeglasses, as well as offering repair services for jewelry, glasses, and clocks. By 1921, he was exclusively selling jewelry.

He passed away at age 42 due to pneumonia, leaving the store to his wife Cornelia, who ran it for 20 years, including through the Great Depression.

Their son Gerald took over the family business in 1935, followed by his son Dennis in the late 1980s. 

Dennis’ sons, Dan and Dave, took ownership of the store in 2008. Dan’s son Paul is the general manager.

“While our new space is a far cry from our previous store, we’re still the same business that our customers know and trust as one of the oldest family-owned jewelers in West Michigan,” Dave, co-owner and a West Side resident, said in a statement.

His brother shares that sentiment.

“We’re not any different than where we were before. We’re the same ding-dongs wearing jeans and Birkenstocks. We’re just in a little fancier space,” Dan said.