IndependentsApr 20, 2021
Connecticut Jewelry Store To Close After 108 YearsIndependentsApr 28, 2021
After 72 Years, This Philly-Area Institution Is Closing
Robbins Delaware Diamonds was known for its catchy jingles and for “the guy with the diamond in his beard.”
Robbins Delaware Diamonds is the last store owned by the Robbins family of Philadelphia. Leo and Sylvia Robbins started the family business in the late 1940s, opening a store at 8th and Walnut on Jewelers’ Row.
Newark, Del.—Robbins Delaware Diamonds, a store known for its Philadelphia-famous commercials and “the guy with the diamond in his beard,” will soon be no more.
The Philly-area institution co-owned by brothers Gordon and Jason Robbins is in the process of holding a going-out-of-business sale at its one remaining location in Newark, Delaware.
“After 40 years, I’m done,” Gordon explained to National Jeweler Tuesday.
Gordon, 56, said he has been working in the family business since he was about 13, and has been selling diamonds since he was 16, continuing a family tradition that began right after World War II.
The Robbins brothers’ grandparents, Leo and Sylvia, opened Leo Robbins and Sons on 8th and Walnut in Philadelphia in 1949.
Leo and Sylvia passed down the business to their sons, Jerry and Ron, who made the family’s stores famous in the Philadelphia/Delaware Valley region with their catchy television commercials in the 1970s.
Related stories will be right here …
The ads featured the two brothers altering the lyrics of ‘50s and ‘60s hits like “Who Put the Bomp” to make them work for a jewelry store, e.g., “Who put the rock in the rock/the rock/the rock you got.”
Jerry, who died in 2018, was also known for having a diamond clipped into his signature beard. His caricature still figures prominently in the store’s marketing today.
“I was known in school as the kid whose dad wore a diamond in his beard,” Gordon recalled in a press release circulated about the store’s closing.
“My dad was a big presence, and I feel fortunate to have worked shoulder to shoulder with him, and my grandfather and uncles, for many years.”
WATCH: Robbins Delaware Diamonds Is Closing
At its zenith, the family-run business was a five-store chain but, like so many jewelers, the Robbins family and their stores did not escape the Great Recession unscathed.
The store was forced into bankruptcy in 2009 and closed three of the four locations it had then, emerging with just the store in Newark.
Gordon said they came out of bankruptcy on financially solid ground and did a fine business in Delaware in the years immediately following.
About three years ago, however, he and his brother decided they did not want to renew the store’s lease beyond its current contract and began looking for a buyer, holding talks with both national chains and local competitors.
Ultimately, however, nothing came of it. COVID hit and it became an “impossible task” to find a buyer.
“I knew it was an uphill battle,” he said. “Nobody wants a retail jewelry business. I don’t know anyone who wants a retail business in general.”
Gordon Robbins said the store’s going-out-of-business sale, which started earlier this month, is “going gangbusters.” (Photo courtesy of Robbins Delaware Diamonds Facebook page)
The going-out-of-business sale at Robbins Delaware Diamonds, which is being handled by Wilkerson, started April 9.
Gordon said being part of the generation that closes the business his grandparents started is bittersweet.
Bitter because he will miss his longtime customers and co-workers; sweet because he won’t miss the more unsavory parts of dealing with the public on a daily basis, or the general stress that comes with running a small business.
“There is a certain amount of sadness in being the one who’s shutting it down,” Gordon said, but, also, he’s ready to retire to the mountains with his wife and “live out a great second chapter.”
More on Independents
The Latest
Supplier BulletinNov 21, 2024
Tasha R Releases 2025 Labbelle Lab Diamond Jewelry CatalogSponsored by Tasha R
AuctionsNov 21, 2024
Gold Watch Gifted to Titanic Rescue Ship Captain Sells for $2MThree Titanic survivors presented him with the personalized Tiffany & Co. timepiece about a year after the tragedy.
MajorsNov 21, 2024
Harris Jewelry Ordered to Reopen Claims Portal for Refund RequestsA federal court found that the jewelry store chain violated terms of the settlement reached after it was accused of defrauding customers.
Brought to you by
Navigating Cybersecurity: Essential Guidance for JewelersFrom protecting customer data to safeguarding inventory records, it's crucial to learn how to tackle cybersecurity challenges.
CollectionsNov 21, 2024
Channel Elphaba in Muse’s ‘Have a Heart x Cynthia Erivo’ CollectionCynthia Erivo chose Dreams of Hope, an organization dedicated to empowering LGBTQA+ youth, as the charity for this year’s collection.
Weekly QuizNov 21, 2024
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
MajorsNov 21, 2024
Rocksbox Opens Pop-Up Store in San FranciscoThe new space was designed to evoke a warm, inviting vibe.
CrimeNov 20, 2024
Sotheby’s to Pay $6.25M Settlement to NY State for Alleged Tax FraudThe auction house was accused of helping clients avoid paying taxes on millions of dollars’ worth of art purchased from 2010 to 2020.
Brought to you by
Enhance Your Expertise with IGI’s In-Person Courses in NYCThis fall, sharpen your skills in jewelry grading, quality control and diamond assessment.
Events & AwardsNov 20, 2024
Kering Debuts New Jewelry Award With Sustainability FocusThe four finalists will present their pieces at the 2025 JCK Las Vegas show.
CollectionsNov 20, 2024
Pamela Love Channels Surrealist Artists in New CollectionThe “Camera Oscura” collection showcases earring designs celebrating female Surrealist artists Claude Cahun and Leonor Fini.
Policies & IssuesNov 20, 2024
Columbia Gem House Raises $10K for Reforestation EffortsThe money will fund the planting of 10,000 trees in critical areas across Oregon, Arizona, Montana, and other regions.
Events & AwardsNov 20, 2024
The Jewelry Symposium Opens Registration, Scholarship ApplicationsThe event centered on advancing jewelry manufacturing technology will return to Detroit in May 2025.
CrimeNov 19, 2024
Woman Killed in Armed Robbery of Sacramento Jewelry StoreLocal reports identified the woman as the wife of the jewelry store owner.
AuctionsNov 19, 2024
‘A Tsar’s Treasure’ Fetches $2.9M at Sotheby’s Jewelry SaleA collection of pieces owned by Ferdinand I, the first king of modern Bulgaria, and his family, blew away estimates in Geneva last week.
MajorsNov 19, 2024
Trove Opens First US Flagship in NYCThe Australian jewelry box brand’s new West Village store will showcase new jewelers each month through its Designer in Residence program.
CollectionsNov 19, 2024
Snoop Dogg’s New Jewelry Collection Is All About Love“Lovechild” was created in partnership with Carolyn Rafaelian’s Metal Alchemist brand.
EditorsNov 18, 2024
Q&A: Helzberg CEO Brad Hampton on the Jeweler’s RebrandHampton discussed how Helzberg is improving the customer experience and why it was inspired by the company formerly known as Dunkin’ Donuts.
Policies & IssuesNov 18, 2024
Reciprocity Jewels Returns to NYC Jewelry WeekThe group will host several curated events and an exhibition of designer jewelry made with Peruvian gold traceable to the miners’ names.
CollectionsNov 18, 2024
Dolly Parton Shines in Collaboration with Kendra ScottThe collection honors the 50th anniversary of Dolly Parton’s “Love is Like a Butterfly” song, which shares a birth year with Kendra Scott.
Events & AwardsNov 18, 2024
IGI Jewelry Design Competition ReturnsThis year’s theme asks designers to take inspiration from classic fairy tales.
EditorsNov 15, 2024
Why Fine Jewelry Belongs at New York Comic ConSenior Editor Lenore Fedow makes the case for why more jewelers should be appealing to nerds at the annual event.
CollectionsNov 15, 2024
Marie Lichtenberg Battles Counterfeits with New ‘Raiz’in Scapular’ DesignsThe latest “Raiz’in” drop showcases a newly designed “Scapular” necklace and donates a portion of the proceeds to Make-A-Wish France.
WatchesNov 15, 2024
Piece of the Week: Citizen’s Commemorative Pocket WatchNo. 1 out of 100, the timepiece was created to mark Citizen’s 100th anniversary and will be auctioned off at Sotheby’s next month.
Recorded WebinarsNov 15, 2024
Watch: 10 Tips to Keep Your Jewelry Store Secure On the latest episode of “My Next Question,” two experts share best practices for store security during the holidays and year-round.
AuctionsNov 14, 2024
18th-Century Diamond Necklace Sells for Nearly $5M Sotheby’s sold the necklace, which potentially has ties to Marie-Antoinette, for $4.8 million to a woman bidding via phone.
MajorsNov 14, 2024
Saks Fifth Avenue Cancels Holiday Light DisplayInstead of its usual elaborate display, the store will illuminate its façade and frame the windows to highlight its flagship’s architecture.
WatchesNov 14, 2024
Grand Seiko Partners With Ben Bridge on First Hawaii Store The new Grand Seiko boutique is located in Honolulu’s Waikiki neighborhood.
