MajorsAug 21, 2025
Claire’s Finds Buyer, Could Save up to 950 StoresThe retailer, which recently filed Chapter 11, inked a deal to sell its North American business and intellectual property.
IndependentsSep 28, 2017
PA Jeweler To Be Featured in ‘Amazing’ Netflix Series
Cathy Calhoun lives and works in converted banks, and the world’s most popular streaming service has taken notice.
Pennsylvania jeweler Cathy Calhoun is filmed in her Spring City, Pennsylvania home by the crew for Netflix’s upcoming series “Amazing on the Inside.” Calhoun lives in a converted bank building that dates back to 1872.
Royersford, Pa.--She’s been featured on two different HGTV shows, the Travel Channel and CNN Money.
So it’s only fitting that Pennsylvania jeweler Cathy Calhoun’s home and store, Calhoun Jewelers, find their way onto an original series being produced by popular streaming service Netflix.
Calhoun lives in a converted bank building that dates to 1872 in the town of Spring City, Pennsylvania, outside of Philadelphia.
The building remained a bank the entire time it was a commercial space, from 1872 until 1989, when the bank closed.
The following year, Calhoun bought the building and, over time, converted it into a home, working around the original structures to carve out a space that’s unique but livable.
A decade later, in 2001, Calhoun decided she needed to move her store and could not find a suitable space anywhere nearby. She even went so far as to knock on the doors of local homes with historical charm, thinking she could talk the owners into selling, and convert it into a store.
Then, one day, she drove by a standalone bank in the next town over, Royersford, that she thought would be perfect for a jewelry store.
She set up a meeting with the developer. By the end of it, she had her second bank building and he had his money and the big diamond ring that she threw in to get the deal done.
About six months ago, Calhoun got a call from a documentarian who works for Netflix.
The streaming service is working on a documentary about buildings around the world with unique interiors, “Amazing on the Inside,” he told her. He’d heard about her house; would she be interested in being featured?
Calhoun said yes, and the U.K.-based crew came to town for about two weeks in late August/early September, filming inside her house and store while also interviewing people around town who used to bank at what is now her home.
The main question the filmmakers asked everyone: What did you think when you heard Cathy was buying a bank to live in?
The main answer they got, according to Calhoun: We think she’s nuts.
Calhoun said “Amazing on the Inside” is a 12-part documentary series that is set to air some time in spring 2018.
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
has converted into--what else?--a bar. The other vault is in the basement, and Calhoun has made that into a sauna.
Prior to Netflix, CNN Money did a show on Calhoun’s house--“And that sucker went viral,” she noted--and she’s also had her repurposed banks featured on HGTV’s “If These Walls Could Talk” and “You Live in What?” plus “Great Escapes” on the Travel Channel.
So, she’s well-versed in the opportunity that this kind of exposure presents. As she told National Jeweler back in 2013 right before her “You Live in What?” episode aired: “You could never pay for this much free publicity.”
Calhoun said plans already are in the works to hold a screening of the Netflix special at the Colonial Theatre.
It’s the same historic theater where the jeweler holds her locally famous Oscar party every year. (Incidentally, the Colonial is also where the famous everybody-get-out scene in the 1958 cult horror classic “The Blob” was filmed; Calhoun said they reenact the scene every year, and people from around the world come to Phoenixville to participate.)
She said she plans to have VIP seating and goodie bags for her customers, while also opening up the 800-seat theater to the general public. People who saw the crew filming around town already have been coming into her store asking when the special will air, and Calhoun’s been taking down names and email addresses.
The Netflix documentary also will give the jeweler another segment to add to the loop of shows about her unique living situation that runs continuously on a flat-screen TV in her store.
“When people bring a repair in, they will sit and continue to watch the TV until it’s over,” she said. “They will not leave until they see it all.”
More on Independents
The Latest
MajorsAug 21, 2025
Target Names New CEO as Sales Continue to Lag Target CEO Brian Cornell will step down in February and be replaced by the company’s chief operating officer, Michael Fiddelke.
Policies & IssuesAug 21, 2025
JA, IDMA Talk Tariffs With Execs in DC The group met with the president's senior trade advisor earlier this week to express the industry’s concerns about the effects of tariffs.
Brought to you by
Rallying Call for the Jewelry Industry on Tariffs and Other Key IssuesJewelers of America is leading the charge to protect the industry amidst rising economic threats.
MajorsAug 21, 2025
Tiffany & Co. Pops Up at 2025 US OpenThe pop-up will display this year's Tiffany & Co. Singles Championship trophies along with a diamond-encrusted tennis racket and ball.
Weekly QuizAug 15, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
CrimeAug 20, 2025
Another CA Jewelry Store Rammed With Car, RobbedThe latest incident happened Monday at a store in Oakland, California, continuing a pattern JSA first warned about last month.
WatchesAug 20, 2025
Oris Launches Watch Benefiting NYC Harbor Oyster RestorationThe new aqua green New York Harbor Limited Edition II is the watchmaker’s second collaboration with the Billion Oyster Project.
Brought to you by
Taking the Moment Head On: How Rio Grande Champions the Present & Future of Fine JewelryAs a leading global jewelry supplier, Rio Grande is rapidly expanding and developing new solutions to meet the needs of jewelers worldwide.
Events & AwardsAug 20, 2025
Take the Jewelers for Children ‘Trinity of Purpose’ ChallengeParticipants who attend any three Rings of Strength events will be awarded a special medal.
SourcingAug 19, 2025
Dubai’s Jemora Group Buys Diamond Miner LucapaThe investment company, founded by Dev Shetty, has acquired the struggling miner and its assets, including the Lulo mine in Angola.
ColumnistsAug 19, 2025
Peter Smith: The Arrival Fallacy and Jewelry RetailSmith shares wisdom he gleaned from a podcast he was listening to one morning while being walked by his dog, a Malshi named Sophie.
CrimeAug 19, 2025
Customs Seizes 7,300 Pairs of Fake ‘Alhambra’ EarringsThe counterfeit Van Cleef & Arpels jewels would have been worth more than $30 million if genuine.
MajorsAug 19, 2025
MJSA Apprenticeship Program Is Nationally RecognizedThe MJSA Mentor & Apprenticeship Program received the Registered Apprenticeship Program designation by the U.S. Department of Labor.
WatchesAug 19, 2025
Casio America Names New Timepiece Division ManagerCasio executive and watch enthusiast Masaki Obu is the new general manager of its U.S. timepiece division.
MajorsAug 18, 2025
Verragio’s Michael Barabash, a ‘Kind Soul,’ Dies at 58Barabash, Verragio’s client relations representative, was a vital member of the team and is remembered as being warm and full of life.
CollectionsAug 18, 2025
John Hardy’s New ‘Dot’ Collection Is on PointOriginally introduced in 1992, the “Dot” collection is back with a capsule featuring five archival designs and three new creations.
Events & AwardsAug 18, 2025
IJO Announces 2025 Vendor of the YearAllison-Kaufman has received the honor for the fourth year in a row.
FinancialsAug 15, 2025
In Q2 Results, Pandora Talks Tariffs, Q4 Plans The company had a solid second quarter, with sales of non-charm jewelry outpacing sales of pieces in its core collections.
EditorsAug 15, 2025
Piece of the Week: Etho Maria’s Showgirl-Approved Ruby Drop Earrings Taylor Swift dons the vibrant pair in new promotional imagery for her upcoming album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” set to release in October.
WatchesAug 15, 2025
Audemars Piguet Acquires Majority Stake in ManufacturerIts investment in micromechanics expert Inhotec will preserve skills essential to the watchmaking industry as a whole, said the company.
MajorsAug 15, 2025
Rio Grande Names New Marketing DirectorNicolette Bianchi joins the wholesale provider with more than 15 years of cross-industry experience in marketing and product development.
CollectionsAug 14, 2025
In Midst of ‘Sardine Girl Summer,’ Pippa Small Looks to ‘Flounder Fall’Her new “Ocean” collection was inspired by Myanmar’s traditional articulated fish jewelry, with depictions of flounder, catfish, and more.
MajorsAug 14, 2025
Casio America Names New CEOLongtime Casio executive Yusuke Suzuki is the new president and CEO of Casio’s U.S. subsidiary.
SourcingAug 14, 2025
West Coast Orgs to Host Trading Event, Mixer in LAThe full-day sourcing and networking event, slated for Aug. 18, will be followed by the fifth annual Mega Mixer Summer Soirée.
TrendsAug 13, 2025
Cristiano Ronaldo Proposes With Gigantic Oval-Cut DiamondModel Georgina Rodríguez received a rock of an engagement ring, with her diamond estimated to be 35 carats, experts say.
SourcingAug 13, 2025
ICA Names 2025 Board of DirectorsThe board elected 9 new directors at its recent ICA Congress in Brazil.
TrendsAug 13, 2025
Colorado Jeweler, Whiskey Maker Collab on Ring GiveawayThree winners will receive a custom ring from Honest Hands Ring Co. inlaid with a piece of history from Denver-based distillery Stranahan’s.
