11/11/2023 0 Comments James avery artisan jewelry![]() In the summer of 1954, Avery launched his jewelry business in a non-air-conditioned two-car garage in Kerrville, Texas, with only $250 in capital, a small work bench, and some scraps of silver and copper. You have to devote full time to the work you are going to do.’ ” You cannot teach and be good at anything else. And he said, ‘Avery, let me tell you something. It was then he decided to devote himself to the jewelry business.Īvery said: “I had a friend that was a very fine painter in New York. “I found that in the church.”Īccording to an interview he did with the University of North Texas Libraries, he sold his first piece, a cross, to an Episcopal bookstore in New York City. “When you get in deep trouble, the thing that is very important is to have someone to put their arms around you and comfort you,” Avery told the San Antonio Express-News in 2005. Around this time, he divorced his first wife, and after years as an agnostic, embraced the Christian faith. While at the University of Colorado, he started teaching jewelry-making with his students. After the war, he attended the University of Illinois and received a BFA in industrial design, eventually becoming a college instructor. Air Force during World War II, commanding a B-26 bomber and running 44 missions over Germany. Finally, the company is dedicated to charitable giving and has several programs featuring fundraising, grants, partnerships and education.James Avery, who founded the jewelry chain that bears his name which now numbers 80 stores, died April 30 at age 96.Īvery was born in 1921. The company maintains an active social media presence and its online services include Buy Online, Pick Up in Store, Create Your Own, sizing guides, wish lists and more. In addition to its retail stores, James Avery Artisan Jewelry’s website,, is an online store where customers can browse and purchase products. The company also offers customization options, allowing customers to create personalized pieces by adding initials, birthstones, engraving or other personal elements. Common themes expressed with James Avery’s designs include faith, meaning, connection and men’s designs. More than 90 percent of James Avery pieces are crafted in Texas using materials sourced worldwide. The active collection of James Avery jewelry features more than 1,000 designs made from sterling silver, 14-karat gold and other materials, as well as precious and semi-precious gemstones. ![]() The company opened its 100th store in Del Rio, TX, on March 24, 2021, on what would have been James Avery’s 100th birthday. In 2018, James Avery’s founder passed away. She started in retail and now oversees Customer Service and Brand Marketing. In 2016, Lindsey Tognietti (James Avery’s granddaughter) joined the company. Chris served as CEO from 2007-2019 and is now Chairman of the Board of Directors.īy 2000, James Avery Artisan Jewelry was operating 30 retail stores and had more than 1,000 associates. In the 1990s, Chris and Paul Avery joined the company, working alongside and learning from their dad and went on to become leaders in the company. In 1987, James Avery was commissioned to craft the silver communion vessels used by Pope John Paul II at mass in San Antonio. He was commissioned by NASA twice more for missions in 19. In 1969, James Avery designed a pin for the Apollo XII astronauts to wear for their lunar mission. The company’s headquarters are still located here today. In 1967, James Avery purchased 20 acres of land in Kerrville, TX, for his first store and manufacturing facility. In 1957, James Avery created 39 new designs for the line, printed his first catalog and hired his first employee, Fred Garcia. He became known as the “Jeweler in the Hills.” James Avery officially started his business by selling jewelry from a wooden box at local summer camps in 1954. There are more than 3,000 regular James Avery employees across all its locations. ![]() ![]() The company has studios, workshops and manufacturing facilities in Kerrville, Fredericksburg, Cedar Park, Comfort, Hondo and Corpus Christi. The business has grown to more than 120 of its own stores across Texas, Georgia, Louisiana and Oklahoma. Over time, the company expanded and became well-known for its distinctive designs and attention to detail. Its founder, James Avery, first started crafting jewelry in Kerrville, Texas in 1954 out of his (then) mother-in-law's garage. James Avery Artisan Jewelry is a Texas-based, family-owned company that specializes in designing hand-crafted rings, bracelets, necklaces, charms, earrings and other jewelry. ![]()
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