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Underwood Head Diamond Buyer inspecting the
final touches being applied to an Underwood
diamond being custom cut in the Fesdiam Cutting
Factory
in Johannesburg,
South Africa.
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nderwood
Jewelers was founded in 1928 by industry legend Herbert
F. Underwood. Underwood's started as a diamond and
watch store in Palatka, Florida, just prior to The
Great Depression. However because of great skills
in buying and selling diamonds and a lot of hard work
Underwood expanded to Jacksonville, Florida, in 1940;
even though the Depression was still going on. At
the start of World War II Mr. Underwood sold the Palatka
store and consolidated in Jacksonville.
Mr. Underwood continued to grow the downtown business
each year but also kept a keen eye on other potential
locations around Jacksonville. In 1953, in an unprecedented
move for a downtown retailer, Underwood's opened its
first branch store in San Marco. Underwood's continued
its growth into 4 more stores through the 60's and
70's using television advertising as a means to educate
customers and build their trust. While this was happening
Herb Underwood served the jewelry industry as President
of Jewelers of America, and served on other national
boards like the American Gem Society, Jewelers Vigilance
Committee, The Florida Jewelers Association and the
Florida Retail Federation.
In
1974 Mr. Underwood decided to sell his business to
one of the oldest and most respected family jewelry
business in the country, Bromberg and Company. The
Bromberg family jewelry business was founded in Alabama
in 1836 and is the oldest business in that state.
They also ranked as the second oldest continuously
running family retail establishment in the United
States. Frank Bromberg, Herb Underwood's long time
friend urged him to stay active in day to day operations,
which he did until 1980. He then worked with Clayton
Bromberg in a training and supervisory role until
the younger Bromberg was made the President of the
firm in 1988. In 1989, Mr. Underwood was recognized
for his contributions to the jewelry industry when
the American Gem Society honored him with the Shipley
Award. Herbert Underwood passed away on July 4, 1998.
Clayton Bromberg, like Herb Underwood before him,
serves and has served on jewelry industry boards such
as Jewelers of America, American Gem Society, Jewelers
Vigilance Committee, Florida Jewelers Association,
The Better Business Bureau and served as President
of the American Gem Society from 1995 until 1997.
He also has served on the American Gem Society Laboratory
Board since 1996 and currently serves as its chairman.
In 2001 under Clayton Bromberg's leadership Underwood's
was designated as the first charter member of Leading
Jewelers of the World. In 2003 Underwood's and Clayton
were recognized for their dedication to the jewelry
industry at large and inducted into the National Jewelers
Hall of Fame. In 2004, Clayton was the recipient of
the single most prestigious award in the jewelry industry-
The Robert M. Shipley Award. This award is conferred
annually to an individual for outstanding service
to the American Gem Society, significant contributions
to the science of gemology, and for exemplifying the
high purpose, objectives, and ideals of AGS in the
recipients community.
Underwood's is a cutting edge fine jeweler that is
well known and respected in the national and international
jewelry industry for our quality operation. We are
annually named by the readers of Folio and Jacksonville
Magazine as Northeast Florida 's Finest Jeweler. This
has been accomplished by selling high quality jewelry,
watches, silver, china and giftware.
Underwood's operates three distinctive stores in the
Jacksonville area, all well stocked with merchandise
and staffed by the largest AGS credentialed professional
staff East of the Mississippi River.
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