Trends

A Century of Assurance

TrendsMar 03, 2016

A Century of Assurance

Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company got its start when a group of retailers bonded over a common problem: no companies wanted to insure their businesses.

century2-38.jpg
The Wisconsin Insurance Department granted the charter for what then was called the Jewelers Mutual Limited Fire Insurance Company of Wisconsin in 1913. In 1918, the company changed its name to the National Jewelers Mutual Fire Insurance Company to reflect its growth.
century3_rdax_536x410-39.jpg
Jewelers attend the 8th annual Wisconsin Retail Jewelers Association Convention in Milwaukee in 1913. It was around this time the retailers hatched the idea of starting their own mutual insurance company.
century4_rdax_559x410-40.jpg
Jewelers Mutual first operated out of the back of the Nelson-Anderson Jewelry Store.

Anderson was the secretary of both the Wisconsin Retail Jewelers Association and the American National Retail Jewelers Association (ANRJA.) The ANRJA eventually merged with National Credit Jewelers of America to form Retail Jewelers of America, which changed its name to Jewelers of America in 1980.

century5_rdax_423x410-41.jpg
After surviving the stock market crash of Oct. 29, 1929, Jewelers Mutual experienced two firsts in 1934, amid the Great Depression. The company hired its first agent and purchased its first office, which was in the historic downtown section of Neenah. Today, Jewelers Mutual has more than 200 independent agents and brokers in the U.S. and Canada.
century6_rdax_521x410-42.jpg
Now a staple at industry tradeshows nationwide, Jewelers Mutual employees attended their first trade show in 1945. This photo was taken during the company’s early years of trade show attendance.
century7_rdax_559x410-43.jpg
 This photo from the 1950s shows the Jewelers Mutual staff at work.
century8_rdax_586x410-44.jpg
The company adopted its current name, Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company, in 1952, the same year this photo was taken.
century9_rdax_559x410-45.jpg
The following year, the company introduced personal jewelry insurance for customers. Today, it is called Perfect Circle Jewelry Insurance.
century10-46.jpg
Jewelers Mutual moved into its current office space, located at 24 Jewelers Park Drive in Neenah, in 1980, later expanding the facility by 18,900 square feet.
century11_rdax_576x410-47.jpg
This photo provides a glimpse into the offices, and at the technology, of Jewelers Mutual in the 1980s.
century12_rdax_559x410-48.jpg
This 1980s-era advertisement for loss prevention materials from Jewelers Mutual shows the industry’s concerns haven’t changed that much over the years. The ad lists some familiar names as contributing to the film’s production: the now-defunct Diamond Promotion Services, which once functioned as the advertising arm of De Beers in the U.S., and the Jewelers’ Security Alliance.
century13-49.jpg
Former President and CEO Ron Harder, who helmed the company for 25 years, credits consistent attendance at trade shows with helping to turn the tide when it came to jewelers’ attitudes about insurance.
century14_rdax_559x410-50.jpg
Harder retired in 2007, 34 years after first joined Jewelers Mutual. The company’s public gallery, located at its Neenah headquarters, is named the R. Harder Gallery of Gems and Minerals in his honor.
century15_rdax_559x410-51.jpg
This aquamarine is one of the many gems and minerals on display in the Harder gallery. Retailer and Jewelers Mutual board member Cathy Calhoun likens visiting the gallery to being in the Smithsonian.“I am not kidding,” she says. “All the employees work around these gems so they are constantly reminded they are in the jewelry industry.”
century16_rdax_559x410-52.jpg
Jewelers Mutual hired its current CEO Copeman in 2009. At this year’s Women Jewelry Association Awards for Excellence gala, Copeman received the Ben Kaiser Award, which goes to a male member of the jewelry industry who shows extraordinary support for women.
View Slideshow

Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company got its start when a group of retailers bonded over a common problem: no companies wanted to insure their businesses.

One hundred years later, the company has expanded to provide coverage for thousands of jewelers and individuals across the United States and Canada.

Click through this slideshow to see 100 years of history in photos, beginning with the very meeting around which the organization formed in 1913.

Michelle Graffis the editor-in-chief at National Jeweler, directing the publication’s coverage both online and in print.

The Latest

GIA iD100® Technology
Supplier BulletinJul 03, 2025
Protect Your Customers and Your Business

Sponsored by the Gemological Institute of America

Madison Keys in Brilliant Earth campaign
MajorsJul 03, 2025
Brilliant Earth Names Tennis Star Madison Keys as Its New Ambassador

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

Muse Nordstrom shop-in-shop
MajorsJul 03, 2025
Muse Sets Up Shop in Nordstrom’s New Jewelry Hall

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

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.

Shree Ramkrishna Exports
SourcingJul 03, 2025
SRK Announces Its Natural Diamonds Are Now Carbon-Negative

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

Weekly QuizJul 02, 2025
This Week’s Quiz
Test your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Take the Quiz
Yeprem Golden Strada Statement Necklace
CollectionsJul 03, 2025
Piece of the Week: A Firework of Diamonds From Yeprem

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

Stock image of police cars with their lights on
CrimeJul 03, 2025
JSA Shares Holiday Weekend Security Tips Amid Spike in Burglaries

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

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.

Exterior and entryway of Boucheron’s Los Angeles Flagship
MajorsJul 02, 2025
Boucheron Looks to LA for First West Coast Flagship

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

Exterior of Marco Bicego Milan Flagship
MajorsJul 02, 2025
Marco Bicego Opens Milan Flagship

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

Chrono24 Time Is Our Thing campaign image
WatchesJul 02, 2025
Chrono24 Revamps Brand, Launches New Campaign

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

Bernadette Mack
SourcingJul 02, 2025
Bernadette Mack Joins Gem Legacy as Executive Director

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

Counterfeit Pandora jewelry in bags and boxes
CrimeJul 02, 2025
Pandora, Amazon Partner to Uncover Counterfeit Jewelry Network

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

Cast Issa Rae
MajorsJul 01, 2025
Cast Closes Business, Plans for Relaunch

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

Eve Goldberg, Matthew Denatale, Willie Lopez, Benjamin Goldberg
Events & AwardsJul 01, 2025
William Goldberg Diamonds, FIT Partner for Apprenticeship Program

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

Elie Hannoush
IndependentsJul 01, 2025
Elie Hannoush, Founder of Hannoush Jewelers, Dies at 73

He is remembered for his successful entrepreneurship, generosity, and dedication to his family.

Claire’s store
MajorsJul 01, 2025
Claire’s Is Looking for a Buyer, Report Says

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

The Story of Everything Campaign, Toadstool Mushroom and Cosmic Egg
CollectionsJun 30, 2025
State Property’s New Jewelry Tells ‘The Story of Everything’

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.

Smart Age Solutions CEO Emmanuel Raheb
ColumnistsJun 30, 2025
The Smart Lab: Why Q3 Is the Secret Weapon For Holiday Jewelry Sales

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

Morgan Keefe
Events & AwardsJun 30, 2025
AGA Names Recipient of 2025 Gemological Education Scholarship

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

The Jewelry Book
IndependentsJun 30, 2025
Melanie Grant’s New Book Explores 200 Years of Jewelry

“The Jewelry Book” comes out this September.

Gemist
TechnologyJun 27, 2025
Gemist Raises $6M in Funding to Scale Jewelry Tech Platform

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

Jeff Preolo, David Stout, Levi Higgs, David Benavides
IndependentsJun 27, 2025
David Webb Announces New Hires, Promotions

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

Blake Graham and Jessica Kohoutek
Events & AwardsJun 27, 2025
AGS, GIA Announce Beatrice Shipley Scholarship Winner

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

Buddha Mama Monstera Ring
CollectionsJun 27, 2025
Piece of the Week: Buddha Mama’s ‘Monstera’ Wrap Ring

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

Cashier handing Rocksbox bag to customer
MajorsJun 26, 2025
Why Rocksbox Is Opening Stores As Signet Jewelers Downsizes

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

Penny Ruston
IndependentsJun 26, 2025
Penny Ruston Dies at 80

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

×

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