Linda and Rob Stewart, longtime owners of My Jewel Shop, Inc. in Jenkintown, are (gradually) hanging it up after more than five decades in the industry.

Linda, 69, said the business started as one of the original custom jewelry shops in 1971 “on that charming little walkway called Yorkway Place.” It shortly expanded to a second location in Center City in the early 1970s.

“My husband started doing work for MJS as an outside contractor. They gave him gemstones and designs and he made finished jewelry for their clients,” she said, noting that the likes of Liberace, Dave Winfield, Barry Manilow, and Aerosmith (among other household names) once called themselves clients.

“We made jewelry for Aerosmith before they were really big. Our Philly store had a number of professional athletes, opera singers, ballet performers, the list goes on,” she said.

She and Rob met in 1976 when Rob was a jewelry instructor at the Cheltenham Center for the Arts, which led to her introduction to the industry and the discovery of My Jewel Shop.

“He was my teacher. The first time I went into My Jewel Shop, I was blown away. I made a 360-degree career change and accepted a part-time job on the spot,” she said.

They married in 1977 and Rob began working for My Jewel Shop. After becoming sole owners in 1999, the Stewarts’ first order was moving the store to the main drag of York Road.

“Business probably quadrupled, just from that move. Together, we built this up to be more than I could have ever asked for,” Linda told Glenside Local. “Our clients, our extended family, are the most loyal, wonderful people. The hardest part of retirement is leaving them.

“We’ve been talking about it for years, and it’s finally happening. There were certain goals we had before we retired. Among them, we wanted a place for our clients to go. That was the toughest piece. We’ve always been known to be customer-oriented, so that was important to us,” she said.

That new partnership has been formed through a colleague and employee of AM Ross & Son, a jewelry manufacturer located at 411 Cottman Street in Jenkintown.

“We’re going to grandfather our clients over there. It’s a beautiful story full of connections,” she said.

To commemorate that story, My Jewel Shop will host a celebration this fall for their clients, new and old.

“We’ve seen the best and the worst of Jenkintown over the years, so we always try to be supportive of this borough,” Linda said. “It’s so much more than just a business. We design jewelry, heirlooms that are passed down from generation to generation. We redesign old pieces and make them wearable. I have sold engagement rings to three generations of the same family. That’s the hardest part of walking away, those bonds. It’s very bittersweet, but I think all people have to find a moment in time when they have to make their decisions.”

She noted that the store at 201 York Road will continue to exist through 2026, sans retail.

“It’s probably going to take us a year to liquidate and get out. We’re very blessed to be in the position we’re in,” she said. “My husband is turning 75 and the business is turning 55. We’ve had three grandchildren in less than three years. It’s just the right time.”

More to come.

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