King Jewelers History

Learn about the 110 year old legacy of King Jewelers

1898 Immigrant, Louis King crossed the Atlantic and established his roots in the United States. Originally a watchmaker, he settled the family in Philadelphia, working days in a factory and repairing watches at night.

1902 Catching the “Gold Rush” fever Louis headed west to Salt Lake City, where he opened King & Co, a mining and trading post that stocked mining supplies, guns, and suitcases. Here, the King family provided the miners with supplies while purchasing the precious stones and metals mined locally. Having acquired a large gold inventory, Louis eventually decided to specialize and focus on jewelry exclusively.

1912 In January 1912, the King family moved the business to the heart of Salt Lake City, reopening as King’s Jewelers. A family legacy was born.

1930 With the onset of the Great Depression, the Kings closed their Philadelphia operation in 1930 and focused their full attention on Atlantic City. Louis then headed south to join Abe and Abe’s son, Martin. With three generations now working under one roof, the reputation of King’s Jewelers soared, and the name “King” became synonymous with outstanding jewelry, personalized service, and exceptional prices. In fact, the threesome launched an alpha line boasting innovative designs that caught the eye of the biggest celebrities of the day, including Babe Ruth.

1931 The store’s location in the major tourist market led to great prosperity for the business, prompting Abe King to explore his options in another tourist destination, South Florida. Abe introduces King’s Jewelers to Miami Beach.

1938 The Washington Ave. store was another triumph for the family, which dispatched Martin to open a second Miami Beach location on Lincoln Road. In addition to manufacturing fine diamonds and gold jewelry, Martin King also began importing and wholesaling diamonds. For more than 30 years, King Jewelers thrived by catering to local residents, tourists, and celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis and Sammy Davis Jr., all of whom frequented what was unquestionably one of the most famous stores in Greater Miami.

1961 The company’s diamond division had grown so large that the Kings established a separate corporate entity and began buying and wholesaling diamonds as Florida Diamond Brokers. To augment this growth, Martin King and his son, Scott, opened an international import/export office in the historic diamond district of Antwerp, Belgium.

1982 Martin and Scott King relocated their retail operation from Miami Beach to Bay Harbor Islands, under the name Martin King Jewelers. It became one of South Florida’s most revered retail landmarks.

1986 Scott King is named CEO and president of Martin King Jewelers. He moves the upstairs diamond estate jewelry and watch showroom downstairs as a luxury retail salon on Kane Concourse.

2001 David King ushered in the fifth generation of Kings to own and operate the company.

2004 By 2004, Scott and Maxine King relocated King Jewelers to Aventura, FL, and opened an exclusive men’s salon and timepiece boutique to complement the extraordinary ladies jewelry collections.

2005 Upon graduating from law school, Jono King joined the family business in 2005 and completed the fifth generation of King Jewelers.

2008 The King family decided to expand their regional presence in the Southeast as they celebrated the grand opening of King Jewelers Nashville, TN in late 2008. Today, David manages the Nashville store located in the Green Hills shopping area.

2012 The King family celebrates its 100 year anniversary, maintaining the outstanding reputation in quality, value, and first-class service that distinguished the founder. After 100 years, King Jewelers still remains the luxury destination for fine jewelry, Swiss watches, and wholesale diamonds.