Family Owned Jewelry Store with Deep Roots in Northeastern, IN
Bowers Jewelry, a family owned and operated business, has been growing each year since the doors opened in 1952. What began as a single showcase and workbench operation inside a small general store has grown into an expansive showroom with expert jewelers, designers, and a highly skilled professional staff.
The Beginning of the "Bowers" Jewelry Legacy
The original “Bowers Jewelers” store was opened in 1952 as a small counter and repair bench inside a general store in Huntington, Indiana. Ralph Bowers was the mastermind behind this new jewelry adventure, as he was forced to leave the railroad industry when polio took the use of his legs. Soon, he ventured into his own storefront location, and the business began to grow in jewelry sales, jewelry repair, and watch and clock repair.
Ralph’s wife, Geraldine, eventually joined him at the business. Their oldest son, Gene, and wife, Susie, began working in the early 1970s. Their younger son, Bob, also came to work at Bowers Jewelers in Huntington in 1970. Bob and his wife, Diana, worked at the original Bowers Jewelers in Huntington early in their careers as families grew.
Bowers Jewelers Opens Second Location in North Manchester, Indiana - 1983
After complete renovation of a downtown location, Bob and Diana opened the doors in 1983 for a second location of "Bowers Jewelers" in North Manchester, Indiana. This small town was a wonderful place to grow an off-shoot of a strong family business. The two stores worked closely together, sharing expertise, ideas, and inventory between stores for several years.
Bob and Diana's son, Ben, completed full courses at the Gemological Institute of America in California right after graduating from high school. Ben was one of the youngest graduates to ever complete the series of classes to become Graduate Jeweler and Graduate Gemologist in 1991. He then returned back to Indiana to work with his parents and aunt and uncle in the family business. With the teaching and guidance of this group, Ben further developed his bench skills and learned much more about the jewelry business in the first several years working in Huntington and North Manchester.
Bowers Jewelry Opens in Warsaw, Indiana in 1996
As times changed and the family expanded, the two stores separated their businesses. Bob, Diana and Ben decided to move their newly-independent store to Warsaw, Indiana, where Bowers Jewelry opened its doors in 1996. Jim Bercik, then son-in-law to Bob and Diana, joined as a bench jeweler shortly after. He worked with the family until 2022, putting in many years of dedicated and skilled work. Gwynne, the youngest daughter to Bob and Diana, having worked part time as a youngster and while home from college, joined the business full time after returning from University of Oklahoma for four years of college, studying business and finance.
Other highly dedicated staff have remained with the team for 20+ years. You will likely see familiar faces at Bowers Jewelry from year to year, as Michelle and Cindy have both been serving on the sales floor for many years. Kayla is going on 10 years with the team, as our "newest" addition.
Now Third-Generation, Bowers Jewelry is Still Family-Owned and Operated
Years have passed, and the core of the Bowers Jewelry family and team still carry on strong! The family legacy continues, and the Bowers family and team still focus on entrepreneurship, expertise, and friendliness... just as the business had begun in the early 1950s. Come visit soon!