Sponsored by the Gemological Institute of America
Retailer Hall of Fame 2018 Inductees: Dror and Helene Zadok
The Houston jewelers put customer service, integrity and honesty before the sale.


That’s how it was for Dror and Helene Zadok, and their store, Zadok Jewelers. The couple is being honored this year as the inductees into National Jeweler’s Retailer Hall of Fame in the Single-Store Independent category.
The couple had been living in Israel. The Yom Kippur War had Helene’s mother worrying about her daughter and her family. So to ease her mind, Dror, Helene and their son (the first of three) went to Houston, where they had family, and expected to be there just a few years.
Because Dror’s family had been in the jewelry business for generations, the twosome went with what was familiar and opened Zadok Jewelers in 1976.
Though Helene says they “started out with more guts than brains,” clearly they had some idea what they were doing.
The store found itself in the black in the first year. Combine good results with a Houston community that was welcoming, and the Zadok family found it hard to leave.
A Family Affair
Today, Zadok Jewelers is still in its original location. It started out at approximately 1,200 square feet, but since has undergone a number of expansions and now spreads out more than 12,000 square feet.
The decision to expand the store rather than open additional locations was a conscious, thought-out one, Helene tells National Jeweler.
“We prefer it this way,” she says. “We’re full service. It’s all under one roof.”
Not to mention, they wanted to keep the entire family in one location. Their team also now includes their three sons, Jonathan, Segev and Gilad.
They come by it naturally.
The Zadoks’ sons now represent the seventh generation in jewelry, an immense source of pride for them. In fact, for Dror, the conversation around his induction into the Hall of Fame couldn’t be complete without the mention of his family, and especially his wife.
“It’s very important to mention that without my wife, I would not … be where I am today. She’s my co-everything. She was right next to me.”
“The proof is in the pudding. They have raised these amazing boys. The business represents itself so well.”
Zadok is a humble man, according to those who work with him. It shows not only in the way he speaks, but also in how he interacts with people.
“Even though he’s the owner of the store, he’s always respectful,” Fouzailoff says. “He’s always dressed professionally. And he doesn’t look down on anybody.”
He continues, “I have a deep appreciation of his ethics. The way he approaches people, whether they are vendors or not, is with total respect.”
Her husband was brought up to be humble and modest, Helene notes, and lives by the idea that even in difficult circumstances, one has to behave honorably.
“We’ve branded the family because you can’t reproduce us. Even though we might have many brands, we are who we are.” — Helene Zadok
This resonates in Dror’s personal mantra: always be honest. If someone comes into the store with a piece they bought elsewhere and asks if it is a good value, he makes it a point to always tell the truth.
“He knows that you don’t disparage something just because it wasn’t purchased in our store, because you want that person to realize you’re going to be honest no matter what,” Helene says.
For anyone who talks to family and friends about Helene, it’s more than clear that she shares the same set of standards and ethics. But it’s especially apparent when talking to her about their sons.
“We are so proud that when we go to trade shows, people in the industry come up to us and tell us how wonderful it is to work with our sons, how respectful they are, how quietly knowledgeable they are,” she says. “There’s no arrogance, no sense of entitlement, and they have integrity. And that’s how we want our image to be.”
The two make the perfect combination to lead the store, Fouzailoff says, in both their work ethics and their values.
Rina Limor agrees, noting that Dror’s polite and soothing demeanor with customers and clients complements Helene’s incredible ability to coordinate and organize a large team and run the business according to the strictest standards.
But for the New York-based jewelry designer, it goes beyond this. For her, the Zadoks are “like family,” which seems to be a common sentiment when conversations about the store’s relationships with its vendors come up.
“It’s so great to work with people you know so well inside and out,” she says. “They are wonderful people.”

For about 20 years, Limor has attended the Christmas event the store holds for customers, and she says the Zadoks always go above and beyond for her.
“They always take care of my accommodations. But it’s more than that,” she says. “They worry about my lunches, my dinners, everything.”
Their sense of community, customer service and especially family is so strong, in fact, that Helene believes it’s what separates them from other stores.
“We’ve branded the family because you can’t reproduce us. Even though we might have many brands, we are who we are.”
The ‘Unofficial Mayor’
The Zadoks’ treatment of customers is the same as their treatment of vendors: with respect, and like family.
They’ve put the creation of an unforgettable shopping experience for their customers, and the best customer service, at the top of the priority list for Zadok Jewelers.
“This is how we’ve stayed here all these years. Hundreds, literally hundreds, of stores have closed,” Dror says, referring to the number of independent jewelers who have gone out of business in recent years. “And thankfully we’re still here. We have generations of customers. We have three or four generations coming in.”
“We are so proud that when we go to trade shows, people in the industry come up to us and tell us how wonderful it is to work with our sons, how respectful they are, how quietly knowledgeable they are. There’s no arrogance, no sense of entitlement, and they have integrity. And that’s how we want our image to be.” — Helene Zadok
The store’s slogan is: “You’re only a stranger once at Zadok Jewelers.” For them, it’s more than just a tagline; it’s been the store’s philosophy for decades.
“We value integrity and always remember we are here because of our customers,” Dror says. “We want to focus on making a customer, not a sale.”
And customers value their interactions with Dror, whom his wife describes as a magnetic “people person.”
“He’ll walk into a restaurant, and you’d think that he was the owner. Everyone comes. He shakes hands. He knows three-quarters of the people there. Anywhere he goes, he’s like his own ambassador without really knowing that he is. People just gravitate towards him.”
Helene says he’s like the “unofficial mayor of Houston.”
It’s a fitting title since Dror, Helene and the team at Zadok Jewelers have made such a point to ingratiate themselves into and give back to the community that welcomed them so warmly all those decades ago.
In 2015, U.S. District Judge David Hittner asked Dror and Helene to be a part of a naturalization ceremony in Houston, where they shared their success story with more than 2,000 new citizens.
The business has gotten involved with many different charitable organizations, supports the arts and helped with Hurricane Harvey disaster relief.
They are there for customers when they have been nominees or honorees for awards, and have been guests at many weddings, personal events and Christmas parties.
“We try to always keep in touch on the personal side, not only on the business side,” Dror says.
The Latest

The 2025 Australian Open champion is the jewelry brand’s first athlete ambassador.

The West Village jewelry boutique’s new shop-in-shop is the cornerstone of Nordstrom’s revamped jewelry hall.

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

This past year, the manufacturer said it recorded below-zero emissions per carat of natural diamond.


The brand’s “Golden Strada” statement necklace features round, marquise, and pear diamonds that sparkle like Fourth of July fireworks.

JSA’s Scott Guginsky provided a list of nine security measures jewelers should observe while locking up for the long weekend.

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

Located on Rodeo Drive, the store’s design was inspired by Hollywood and Los Angeles culture.

The new location continues the brand’s celebration of its 25th anniversary.

The online watch marketplace’s “Time Is Our Thing” campaign highlights the importance of time.

She will oversee strategic planning, fundraising, industry partnerships, and the launch of the Gem Legacy Campus in Tanzania.

Working with Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit and law enforcement, Pandora helped to shut down a large-scale counterfeit network in China.

The jewelry company has closed its three California brick-and-mortar stores, as well as its online shop, for now.

The company is providing the opportunity for an FIT student to work alongside master diamond cutter Willie Lopez in its workshop.

The jewelry store chain has reportedly been struggling with costs related to tariffs as well as tough retail competition.

Welcome warm summer days with red hot rubies perfectly chosen as July’s birthstone.

Co-founders Afzal Imram and Lin Ruiyin brought their son’s story of a cosmic egg, toadstool, and railroad to life in their new collection.

The best time to prepare for the holiday season is right now, according to columnist Emmanuel Raheb.

This year’s winner is Morgan Keefe, who is currently studying at GIA to be a gemologist.

The company is focused on modernizing the custom jewelry buying experience with e-commerce tools like product visualization and 3D styling.

Following its recent acquisition, the storied brand has updated its leadership team and regional managers.

AGS also named the recipient of its “Women in Leadership” scholarship.

The 20-karat yellow gold and diamond wrap ring is modeled after the Monstera plants in the garden of the brand’s Miami villa.

Rocksbox President Allison Vigil shared the retailer’s expansion plans, and her thoughts on opening stores in malls.

The creator of the WJA Chicago chapter is remembered as a champion for women in the jewelry industry and a loving grandmother.

The decline was consistent across age groups and almost all income groups, with tariffs and inflation still top of mind.