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One of the East End’s oldest jewelry stores will soon close its doors for good.
Jan Rose, the owner of Rose Jewelers on Main Street in Southampton Village, said earlier this week that the 73-year-old shop will close sometime this year.
Rose Jewelers was founded in 1945 by Ms. Rose’s grandfather Harry Rose, when he left behind his life as a traveling salesman in Brooklyn and purchased a small jewelry store on East Main Street in Patchogue.
The store has been passed down in the family for generations, first to his sons, Robert Rose and Murray Rose, who grew the business into four more storefronts—in Southampton, East Hampton, Riverhead and Huntington. The Roses later consolidated Rose Jewelers into one location in Southampton, which was established in 1972, nearly 30 years after its original Patchogue location was founded. It has since remained in family hands under the direction of Ms. Rose for the last 30 years.
“It’s just time for me to retire,” Ms. Rose said between helping customers inside the packed store on Tuesday afternoon. The owner said that she has been blessed throughout her many years running Rose Jewelers, but that she looks forward to having more time to spend with her grandchildren and enjoy other pursuits that she has put off until now.
The store does not have a set closing date, and Ms. Rose confirmed that if every item is sold today, it would be closed tomorrow.
“It’s difficult closing a business that is almost 75 years old,” she explained. “There’s a lot of history, and it’s tough, but it’s time for me.”
Rose Jewelers has served clients like Aretha Franklin, Billy Joel, Hugh Grant, Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez. Ms. Rose said that the store sees many returning clients, and that people often tell her stories of buying jewelry from her father and grandfather years ago.
Ms. Rose said that she never considered selling the business to anyone outside the family, and there’s no one inside the family to take it over. “My grandson is only 14, so I can’t wait for him,” she laughed.
Southampton Village is home to several jewelry stores, both old and new, including Corwin’s Jewelers and London Jewelers, both of which are just a few storefronts down from Rose. Despite the many competitors on Main Street and Jobs Lane, Ms. Rose said that they had nothing to do with her store’s closure.
While the store’s entrance already displays a 70-percent-off sale sign, a going out-of-business sale will begin on Friday, selling items including watches, fine china, sterling silver, crystal and pewter. Traditional items including diamond studs and pearls are also heavily discounted for the sale.
Rose Jewelers will operate under regular store hours during the sale and until further notice.
27east on Jun 26, 2018