By John McCullough, COO, James Avery Jewelers

For many years and through multiple generations, James Avery Jewelry has been honored to be a part of our customers’ lives. It started over 60 years ago, when James Avery’s mother-in-law urged him to set up shop and pursue his passion – making jewelry. With her encouragement, James Avery started his jewelry business in her two-car garage with about $250 in capital in the summer of 1954. He built a small workbench, then bought a few hand tools and scraps of silver and copper. It was his desire to create jewelry that had meaning for him and his customers as well as having lasting value.

In the early days, James Avery would drive out to the youth camps in the Texas Hill Country to show his artful designs to the campers. The campers loved seeing his jewelry, especially the charms that symbolized the special times they had that summer, the activities they enjoyed, the cabins they stayed in, and the dear friendships they had developed.   At the end of the summer, these young ladies would return to their homes in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Austin and would talk about the craftsman in the Hills and the artful jewelry he crafted. It was from those humble beginnings that we have grown from a one-man endeavor to a team of over 2,000 and more than 70 retail stores. We are honored that we help our customers celebrate life through the beauty of design. Even today, if you stop by our headquarters in Kerrville, Texas during the summer, there is good chance you may see grandmothers, mothers and daughters shopping our store, looking for those camp charms.

James Avery customers are memory makers, experience seekers, trusted advisers and relationship builders. They are eager to discover pieces that help express the things, people and places they are passionate about. Whether their stories are shared or kept close to the heart, they are uniquely their own. We hope every ring, bracelet, necklace and charm they choose makes them smile when they see it, helps them remember a special moment, or simply expresses their own personality.

We’re thankful to be able to help our customers commemorate life’s events, connections and personal interests with jewelry that is simply beautiful, sometimes whimsical, and hopefully appreciated. Our founder, James Avery, said this many years ago, and we still believe it today: “I do not consider myself a jeweler as the name implies today. Rather, I like to think of myself as an artist.”

We work hard so that James Avery jewelry is something our associates are proud to present and our customers continue to wear, gift and even pass on to new generations.

If you ever happen to be in the Texas Hill Country, we invite you to come visit our company headquarters in Kerrville. You’ll find us in the rolling hills on about 40 acres, not too far from the garage where James Avery started the business many years ago. Here you’ll be able to visit our new store and visitor center which have helped strengthen our company’s legacy with both lifelong customers and new friends just learning about our company.

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John McCullough is currently COO of James Avery Jewelry. Prior to becoming COO in December 2017, he previously served as Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing for James Avery Jewelry where he was responsible for the Retail, Merchandising & Design, and Marketing areas of the business. He graduated from The University of Texas in Austin, where he received a BBA in Marketing with Honors. Contact John via email here.