Stuart Kingston Jewelers is a third-generation family-owned jewelry store in Greenville that specializes in beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces including award-winning rubies, emeralds, sapphires, large diamonds and large semiprecious stones. They operate with the philosophy that you should worry about making a customer and never worrying about making a sale.

The company’s custom designer can refresh or repurpose family pieces or make something completely new. Stuart Kingston Jewelers buys and sells estate jewelry and does appraisals, evaluations and repairs. Its attached art gallery specializes in 19th and 20th century European and American original art including Wyeth, Schoonover, Loper and others.

Jim Stein ran all aspects of the business for decades. Today he and his son Edward strive to make the store more of an experience than just a retail store, including “the special things we do with couples buying engagement rings and statement jewelry.” Edward received certifications and learned on the job, but his father felt it was important for him to “go away and build a career before he came back so he would have no regrets.”

“We sell quality,” he says, explaining that being one of Delaware’s most trusted jewelers is something they try to live up to every day. “We want people to ooh and ahh when they see a [Stuart Kingston] box because they know it is going to be a beautiful piece, a lifelong heirloom that can be passed down from one generation to the next.”

Edward has three young children of his own and hopes that one of them will find the passion to carry the name forward. In the meantime, Jim and Edward work side-by-side to make the transition gradual and seamless with suppliers and longtime customers when the time comes.

“We are proud to repeatedly serve many generations of families in the Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and D.C. areas,” Edward says.

Headquarters:
Greenville

Founded:
1930

Industry:
Retail

Full-time employees:
4

Family members:
2

Website:
stuartkingstonjewelers.com

Fun fact:
Partner Edward Stein was a Hollywood director, actor, writer, and producer before meeting the love of his life and returning to Delaware to work for the family business.