We have carried many items designed by James Avery over the years, and we were sad to learn of the legendary jeweler’s passing on the last day of April at the age of 96. His was a great Texas story: like many of us, he started his journey somewhere else – born in Milwaukee, raised in Chicago – before coming down here to accomplish great things.
After serving as a bomber pilot in World War II, Avery taught himself jewelry design and opened a one-man shop in Kerrville, Texas, in 1953. That grew into an empire based on his designs, many of them with religious themes. You can read more about his remarkable life in this New York Times obituary. His legacy will live on in our stores for a very long time.