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Julian's Jewelers, Danville, Virginia, just after Ben and Bec David purchased it in 1959.
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With a combustible mixture of outgoing personality and personal drive - not to mention, a head for business - Ben David has always been a charmer. And when he was only a teen, Ben decided he wanted to use his self-taught skills to make and sell jewelry.
His easygoing nature allowed him to befriend anyone who walked through the doors of the jewelry store in which he worked. It wasn't long before bigger opportunities began to open for Ben. He was drawn to one particular opening in the close-knit southern community of Danville. With its shady, tree-lined streets and gentle pace, Danville seemed like the perfect place he and his young wife Rebecca could raise their children.
Ben and Rebecca bought a quaint old shop called Julian's from a retiring jeweler and renamed it Ben David Jewelers. The doors opened in 1959. Though their first few years in the business were a struggle, Ben's knowledge of the industry and his store's warm, friendly atmosphere earned a reputation for excellence in Danville. Ben and Bec saw greater things ahead. They wanted to grow their business, making it more accessible to the people of Danville. If only they had the money to make it happen.
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Our store in High Point, North Carolina
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One humid, summer day in 1962, opportunity came knocking. Local entrepreneur Jack Bernstein convinced Ben to move his store to a brand new strip center he was building on the old Ballou Park baseball field. Based on Ben's excellent reputation, Bernstein was able to convince the bank to give him a loan. The new, improved Ben David Jewelers opened in 1963 to immediate success. It quickly became the most popular jewelry store in Danville. Not only did they sell jewelry, but china, dishware, pots and pan, and even lava lamps. After all, it was the sixties!
The new store continued the tradition of amazing customer service. Ben David was concerned with just one thing: that his customers walk out of his store delighted...whether they bought anything or not.
The business grew for some time, and eventually Ben added a new location in Piedmont Mall, the very first mall in Danville, in 1982. And with his sons Leon and Mark running the business, Ben was finally able to play some golf and relax...for a little while. In 1996, Ben David Jewelers opened another store in High Point, North Carolina, and expanded the Ben David experience outside of Danville.
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Our Superstore in Danville, Virginia
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After over 45 years of service to Danville and the Dan River Region of Virginia and North Carolina, Leon and Mark made plans to leave Piedmont Mall and build their own free standing jewelery super store. The dream came true in early April when Mark's 8 year old daughter and Danville Mayor John Hamlin cut the silver and gold ribbon signifying the opening of the new store. Leon David, co-owner of the store said, "the entire Ben David family is proud to be able to open Danville's first jewelry super store". Mark David stated that they have more than tripled their former mall store in size and jewelry selection.
The new store is over 5500 square feet in size and features a large Bridal Gallery, expanded gold and fine fashion jewelry and many new brands such as Tacori, Verragio, Lorenzo plus famous watch names like Movado, Wittnauer, and many more. The store also features an in store jewelry repair and custom shop and a customer lounge with a working fireplace and plasma TV. Mark David is quoted as saying, "The store offers a shopping experience that Danville and the Dan River region has never seen before.
Owners Jackie and Leon David along with Architect Lee Mehler designed the Shopping Center and store.
While Ben David Jewelers doesn't sell lava lamps anymore, they do have the largest selection of diamonds in the area, and feature the most current bridal and platinum engagement rings from Verrigio and the Exclusively designed Love Story Collections, and, as always, down-to-earth, customer centered service in all of our locations.
Come experience the Ben David tradition for yourself!
