Smith Jewelry

About

Smith Jewelry has been in business since 1909. It's 3rd generation store.

Story

THE STORE WAS STARTED IN 1909 BY SMITH. IN 1910 JOSEPH CHRISTEN CAME TO HEAD UP THE WATCH MAKING SHOP. THAT WAS OUR GRANDPA.
There were 6 watchmakers in house that calibrated the watches for the railroad. In those days there were plenty of trains going through Huron every day. Smith sold to the watchmakers in 1924 and they kept the Smith Jewelry name. Joe’s son Herb bought them out after coming back from WWII. Unfortunately Herb died in 1964 and left behind the store a widow, Lois and 3 sons. Lois Christen took over as a housewife and managed to double the store in just a few years, many people thought she would fail but she showed them her Midwestern toughness! Lois sent son Les to the Gemological Institute of America where he met his wife Sue, they are the Current owners. Les and Sue came back to help Lois in 1972-1978 after that brother Dave Christen ran the store until 2003. In 1978 Sue’s dad invited Les and family to go with him to Sri Lanka to open a gem cutting factory in the Free Trade Zone. They lived there for 2 years, later Les became the corporate gemologist for a small chain of jewelry stores and Sue worked for a wholesale gem dealer “Natural Arts” and later had a gem cutting business in the Jewelers Exchange building in San Diego. While in San Diego County Sue was membership chairperson for the San Diego County Woman’s Jeweler’s Association and member of the GIA Alumni Association. Ashlee Beilke has been a employee here for 5 years and is the Director of Marketing and Sales. She currently enrolled at Gemological Institute of America.
Les Christen, Sue Christen, and Ashlee Beilke are all Alumni of Gemological Institute of America.