Connecticut Jewelry Store To Close After 108 Years
Friedrich Jewelers owners Doug and Jacki Friedrich are ready for retirement.

Fourth-generation owners Doug and Jacki Friedrich are ready to close their Vernon, Connecticut store, retiring to spend time with their grandson and embark on some new travels.
Though the pandemic made for rough waters, business rebounded quickly, and the jeweler is happy to end its century-long journey on a high note.
“Since 1913, you have honored Friedrich Jewelers by including us in your celebrations of life and love,” the owners said in a press release about the closure.
“Over the last 108 years, our customers have appreciated our commitment to exceptional quality, dependability, value, and services passed down through four generations. These are the driving forces behind our business, and we believe they show through in all we do.
“Although bittersweet, the time has come for us to bring this journey to an end. We welcome our new adventure, retirement.”
The jeweler has helped generations of families celebrate life’s milestones, and that is what Doug and Jacki said they will miss the most.
Doug, a bench jeweler and designer, is descended from a long line of watchmakers and jewelers.
His great-grandfather, Gustav Friedrich, opened the family jewelry store on Ward Street in nearby Rockville, Connecticut in 1913.
In 1936, his son, Herbert, took over the business.
Herbert and his wife Ursula raised their twin sons, Robert and Herbert Jr., and daughter Dorothy in the apartment just above the store.
His sons looked to follow in their father’s footsteps, so Herbert Sr. bought the former Ronalter Jewelry Store in nearby Stafford Springs, Connecticut in 1947.
By 1950, Robert was running the store. Robert’s daughter Brenda later ran that store, though it closed in 2015.
Herbert’s other son, Herbert Jr., took over the Ward Street Friedrich Jewelers store in 1957. His son, Doug, joined him there in 1978.
In 1989, Doug and Jacki bought the Ward Street store, moving it to its current location in Vernon in 1993.
The husband-and-wife team have run it until present day with the help of “a small but mighty staff,” including designer Becky Penta, who joined the store at age 18 and has been there for more than 25 years.
The store’s going-out-of-business sale began Monday and will continue until everything is sold.
For more information, visit the Friedrich Jewelers website.
The Latest

The company plans to halt all consumer-facing activity this summer, while Lightbox factory operations will cease by the end of the year.

Following weekend negotiations, the tax on Chinese goods imported into the United States will drop by 115 percent for the next 90 days.

“Artists’ Jewelry: From Cubism to Pop, the Diane Venet Collection” is on view at the Norton Museum of Art through October.

Gain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.

The deadline to submit is June 16.


Lichtenberg partnered with luxury platform Mytheresa on two designs honoring the connection between mothers and daughters.

The miner announced plans to recommence open-pit mining at Kagem.

Supplier Spotlight Sponsored by GIA

Michel Desalles allegedly murdered Omid Gholian inside World of Gold N Diamond using zip ties and then fled the country.

Associate Editor Lauren McLemore shares her favorite looks from a night of style inspired by Black dandyism.

Sponsored by Instappraise

CEO Beth Gerstein discussed the company’s bridal bestsellers, the potential impact of tariffs, and the rising price of gold.

Cathy Marsh will lead the jewelry company’s efforts in the upper Midwest and western United States.

The company has multiple strategies for dealing with tariffs, though its CEO said moving manufacturing to the U.S. is not one of them.

Connecting with your customers throughout the year is key to a successful holiday marketing push.

Its commercial-quality emerald sale held last month totaled more than $16 million, up from about $11 million in September 2024.

National Jeweler Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff joined Michael Burpoe to talk tariffs, consumer confidence, and the sky-high price of gold.

Designer Lauren Harwell Godfrey made the piece as an homage to the 2025 gala’s theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.”

Expanded this year to include suppliers, JA’s 2025 list honors 40 up-and-coming professionals in the jewelry industry.

Located in Fort Smith, it’s the Mid-South jeweler’s first store in Northwest Arkansas.

The episode about the family-owned jeweler will premiere May 17.

The Houston-based jeweler’s new 11,000-square-foot showroom will include a Rolex boutique.

The turquoise and diamond tiara hasn’t been on the market since it was purchased by Lord Astor in 1930.

“The Duke Diamond” is the largest diamond registered at the Arkansas park so far this year.

The childhood craft of making dried pasta necklaces for Mother’s Day is all grown up as the 14-karat gold “Forever Macaroni” necklace.

Set with May’s birthstone and featuring an earthworm, this ring is a perfect celebration of spring.

“Bridal 2025–2026” includes popular styles and a dedicated section for quick pricing references of lab-grown diamond bridal jewelry.