Gainesville's Gem Jewelry to close by end of 2017

The Orenestein sisters are hoping Christmas in their store will be a little less sparkly this year. That's because they are hoping all of the jewelry, crystal, silver, china and other fine gifts that have made their shop, Gem Jewelry, sparkle for over 80 years will instead be in the homes of their customers, adding an extra glimmer to their holiday.
 
On December 30, the Bradford Street store so loved by the Orenstein family will close.
 
"We're getting old!" chuckled Temme Orenstein Schooler, along with her sister, Linda Orenstein, about why they chose to end the store's 81 year run. The pair sat down with AccessWDUN's Alyson Shields behind their engagement and wedding ring counter earlier this week. "Since we've worked all of our life, we've just felt that it's time... that we could do something we wanted to do for a while. All of our family has put it in our head that we really ought to just close the store."
 
They still plan to be around Gainesville, just not every day as they once had.
 
Gem Jewelry began with their grandfather, who opened a store on Washington Street. When he passed away unexpectedly in 1946, their father, Marvin, chose to keep the Gainesville store open instead of continuing at a job he didn't love in Atlanta. The business grew, at one point into a small chain of stores, and so did the Orenstein family with each sister's birth.
 
Saying the sisters grew up in the store in not an overstatement. "When we got old enough we came down to the store and started working," said Orenstein. "We say we've been doing it our whole life. Even when we were little we'd come down on Saturdays and pretend. Straighten stock, clean, gift wrap and all that kind of stuff."
 
The Orensteins will go out with more than just a glimmer.
 
"It's the biggest Black Friday sale you ever saw. The prices will just stay there til the end of the month. It's just one markdown," said Orenstein. "In the last week if we have bits and pieces we may mark those down more. But it's not one of those crazy sales where you start at one price and it slowly gets lower. What we have is what we have. Nothing has been brought in special for the sale, it's regular merchandise that we've always carried."
 
After the store is closed, the Orensteins said the store will be polished up, including a new floor, for a new Tenant .
 
The goodbye to their customers will be a challenge. "In some (customer) families we've had four or five generations shopping with us. We appreciate their loyalty, we appreciate them supporting us and allowing us to be here for 81 years. We couldn't have done it without their support," said Orenstein.
 
"It's been fun and we love jewelry. We hope when we sell a piece we bring that across to the person that is buying it. We try to tell them exactly what they're getting and try to teach them a little bit about what they're buying as well as what they're walking out with." said Orenstein Schooler. "We want them to appreciate it as much as we do."
 
Gem Jewelry is located on the Gainesville Square, on Bradford Street, next to Avocado's. Operating hours are Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.