A Century of Luxury & Legacy
Walking the Streets Where Our Jewelry Legacy Began
Published: Jul 5, 2026
Walking the Streets Where Our Legacy Began
This week, I found myself back in downtown Detroit, standing in front of the Metropolitan Building . . . the place where my grandfather began our family’s journey in the jewelry business nearly 100 years ago.
The timing felt especially meaningful.
America had just celebrated its 250th anniversary, and our family is celebrating 100 years in the jewelry industry. Those two milestones caused me to stop and think about the journeys, sacrifices, decisions, and unexpected turns that brought us to where we are today.
My grandfather came from England, traveled through Canada, and eventually settled in Detroit. Somewhere along the way, he learned the jewelry trade and began building a life for himself and his family.
Now, a century later, I am a third-generation jeweler, and my son represents the fourth generation.
When I think about that, I cannot help but feel grateful. So many things had to come together for this story to continue. Every generation faced its own challenges. Every generation had decisions to make. Some of those decisions probably seemed small at the time, but they ended up shaping everything that followed.
The Metropolitan Building
For most of my life, I did not know that my grandfather had started his business in the Metropolitan Building.
The building was created as a center for jewelers, watchmakers, engravers, and other professionals connected to the jewelry trade. Today, it has been beautifully restored and transformed into a hotel.
Standing there, I tried to imagine what the building must have looked like 100 years ago.
I pictured the hallways filled with jewelers carrying trays, tools, stones, watches, and finished pieces. I imagined my grandfather walking into that building as a young man, trying to build a business and make a name for himself.
I do not know exactly how long he worked there. It may have been only two or three years. Eventually, he moved several blocks down the street to the Michigan Theater Building, where he spent much of his working career.
That raised an interesting question for me: Why did he move?
Was the rent better? Were more jewelers relocating to that area? Was there more foot traffic or greater opportunity? Did a friend encourage him to move?
I may never know the complete answer.
But I do know that location can make a tremendous difference in business.
What Difference Can a Few Blocks Make?
As I walked from the Metropolitan Building toward the Michigan Theater Building, I thought about a move I made in my own business.
At one point, we moved David Douglas Diamonds only about a mile down the road. It did not seem like a dramatic distance, but it completely changed our business.
We went from a small service-oriented location to a thriving retail jewelry store with a strong focus on bridal jewelry. That one-mile move opened up new opportunities and helped shape the company we became.
Perhaps my grandfather experienced something similar.
Sometimes the next chapter of our lives is not far away. It might only be a few blocks down the street. But we still have to be willing to take the steps.
Memories of the Michigan Theater Building
The Michigan Theater Building holds many memories for me.
When I was young, I remember visiting the building and seeing the jewelers who worked there. It was an important center for the trade, and it played a major role in my family’s story.
Today, the building has seen better days.
When I visited last year, barriers had been placed around parts of it because pieces from the upper floors were falling toward the sidewalk. On this visit, the lower level appeared to have received some repairs, which was encouraging.
I do not know what the future holds for the Michigan Theater Building. I would love to see it restored, just as the Metropolitan Building was restored.
Buildings like these hold more than bricks and mortar. They hold stories. They are reminders of the people who worked, struggled, dreamed, and built their lives inside them.
Why I Returned to Michigan
My visit to Detroit was not only about our jewelry history.
There was another, much more personal reason for this trip.
A little over seven years ago, my father passed away. He was cremated, and his ashes remained in an urn. For a while, one of my brothers had the urn, and eventually it ended up with my aunt in Michigan.
My aunt is now the last surviving member of that generation of the family. Her parents and all her siblings have passed away.
Years ago, she purchased cemetery plots for herself and her siblings. My uncle Gene was the first to be laid to rest there.
More recently, my uncle Art passed away, followed by his wife, Jan. Their daughter, my cousin Julie, decided it was time to bring their remains to Michigan and complete their burial arrangements.
She invited the rest of us to participate and suggested that perhaps it was also time to lay my father’s ashes to rest.
And so, seven years after his passing, that is what we decided to do.
My dad, Uncle Art, and Aunt Jan would finally be laid to rest with the rest of the family.
Remembering My Dad
My dad was a character.
Nearly everyone who met him seemed to love him. He had a way of connecting with people and making an impression.
Even at 86 years old, he was still finding ways to stay active and have fun. He had a low-riding, three-wheel bicycle, and he built a tall advertising display on the back of it. He began selling advertising space and would ride that bicycle all over town.
Someone in the community captured a video of him riding away on that bicycle. I included it at the end of the memorial video I created after his passing.
There is something about that final image of him riding away that has always stayed with me.
It is funny, endearing, and completely true to who he was.
Here is a link to that video, I have it starting close to the end of the video . . . https://youtu.be/8gzCZdZOleY?si=P-42IvqrkAlQ6gtd&t=627
This is the song that is playing in the video that my nephew wrote and preformed . . . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxbZLBNhti8&list=RDvxbZLBNhti8&start_radio=1
My dad left a legacy not only through the jewelry business, but through the way he treated people. He had relationships throughout the community, and people remembered him with genuine affection.
That may be one of the greatest legacies any of us can leave.
A Business He Did Not Want Me to Enter
As I reflected on my father’s life, I also remembered something that makes me smile today.
When I was in high school and trying to decide what direction to take, my dad encouraged me to attend college. He did not particularly want me to enter the jewelry business.
In fact, he wanted me to stay away from it.
Like many fathers, he probably understood the challenges of the business better than I did. He knew the long hours, the pressures, the uncertainty, and the responsibility that came with it.
Thankfully, my brother and I did not listen.
We stayed in the industry, learned the trade, and carried the family story forward.
The jewelry business has certainly presented challenges, but it has also given me tremendous rewards. It has allowed me to become part of some of the most important moments in people’s lives.
Engagements, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, new babies, graduations, achievements, and memories are often represented by the pieces we create.
We may work with precious metals and beautiful stones, but the real value is found in the stories connected to them.
Carrying the Legacy Forward
Walking through Detroit reminded me that a legacy is rarely built through one grand moment.
It is built one decision at a time.
A journey from England to Canada.
A move to Detroit.
A first workshop in the Metropolitan Building.
A move several blocks down the street.
A son who entered the jewelry business.
A grandson who stayed in it even when his father encouraged him to choose another path.
And now, a great-grandson continuing the tradition as a fourth-generation jeweler.
Our family story has not been perfect. There have been hardships, losses, disagreements, risks, and uncertain seasons.
But through it all, the story continued.
As I prepare to lay my father to rest, I am reminded that our time here is limited. Buildings may be restored or torn down. Businesses may grow or change. Generations come and go.
But the way we live, the people we love, and the stories we pass down can continue long after we are gone.
I am grateful for my grandfather, my father, my uncles, my aunts, my brothers, my children, and every person who helped shape this family.
And I am grateful that, 100 years later, we are still here—still creating, still serving, and still helping people celebrate the meaningful moments of their lives.
The journey is not over.
There are more stories to tell, more lessons to learn, and, Lord willing, more generations to come.
This week, I found myself back in downtown Detroit, standing in front of the Metropolitan Building . . . the place where my grandfather began our family’s journey in the jewelry business nearly 100 years ago.
The timing felt especially meaningful.
America had just celebrated its 250th anniversary, and our family is celebrating 100 years in the jewelry industry. Those two milestones caused me to stop and think about the journeys, sacrifices, decisions, and unexpected turns that brought us to where we are today.
My grandfather came from England, traveled through Canada, and eventually settled in Detroit. Somewhere along the way, he learned the jewelry trade and began building a life for himself and his family.
Now, a century later, I am a third-generation jeweler, and my son represents the fourth generation.
When I think about that, I cannot help but feel grateful. So many things had to come together for this story to continue. Every generation faced its own challenges. Every generation had decisions to make. Some of those decisions probably seemed small at the time, but they ended up shaping everything that followed.
The Metropolitan Building
For most of my life, I did not know that my grandfather had started his business in the Metropolitan Building.
The building was created as a center for jewelers, watchmakers, engravers, and other professionals connected to the jewelry trade. Today, it has been beautifully restored and transformed into a hotel.
Standing there, I tried to imagine what the building must have looked like 100 years ago.
I pictured the hallways filled with jewelers carrying trays, tools, stones, watches, and finished pieces. I imagined my grandfather walking into that building as a young man, trying to build a business and make a name for himself.
I do not know exactly how long he worked there. It may have been only two or three years. Eventually, he moved several blocks down the street to the Michigan Theater Building, where he spent much of his working career.
That raised an interesting question for me: Why did he move?
Was the rent better? Were more jewelers relocating to that area? Was there more foot traffic or greater opportunity? Did a friend encourage him to move?
I may never know the complete answer.
But I do know that location can make a tremendous difference in business.
What Difference Can a Few Blocks Make?
As I walked from the Metropolitan Building toward the Michigan Theater Building, I thought about a move I made in my own business.
At one point, we moved David Douglas Diamonds only about a mile down the road. It did not seem like a dramatic distance, but it completely changed our business.
We went from a small service-oriented location to a thriving retail jewelry store with a strong focus on bridal jewelry. That one-mile move opened up new opportunities and helped shape the company we became.
Perhaps my grandfather experienced something similar.
Sometimes the next chapter of our lives is not far away. It might only be a few blocks down the street. But we still have to be willing to take the steps.
Memories of the Michigan Theater Building
The Michigan Theater Building holds many memories for me.
When I was young, I remember visiting the building and seeing the jewelers who worked there. It was an important center for the trade, and it played a major role in my family’s story.
Today, the building has seen better days.
When I visited last year, barriers had been placed around parts of it because pieces from the upper floors were falling toward the sidewalk. On this visit, the lower level appeared to have received some repairs, which was encouraging.
I do not know what the future holds for the Michigan Theater Building. I would love to see it restored, just as the Metropolitan Building was restored.
Buildings like these hold more than bricks and mortar. They hold stories. They are reminders of the people who worked, struggled, dreamed, and built their lives inside them.
Why I Returned to Michigan
My visit to Detroit was not only about our jewelry history.
There was another, much more personal reason for this trip.
A little over seven years ago, my father passed away. He was cremated, and his ashes remained in an urn. For a while, one of my brothers had the urn, and eventually it ended up with my aunt in Michigan.
My aunt is now the last surviving member of that generation of the family. Her parents and all her siblings have passed away.
Years ago, she purchased cemetery plots for herself and her siblings. My uncle Gene was the first to be laid to rest there.
More recently, my uncle Art passed away, followed by his wife, Jan. Their daughter, my cousin Julie, decided it was time to bring their remains to Michigan and complete their burial arrangements.
She invited the rest of us to participate and suggested that perhaps it was also time to lay my father’s ashes to rest.
And so, seven years after his passing, that is what we decided to do.
My dad, Uncle Art, and Aunt Jan would finally be laid to rest with the rest of the family.
Remembering My Dad
My dad was a character.
Nearly everyone who met him seemed to love him. He had a way of connecting with people and making an impression.
Even at 86 years old, he was still finding ways to stay active and have fun. He had a low-riding, three-wheel bicycle, and he built a tall advertising display on the back of it. He began selling advertising space and would ride that bicycle all over town.
Someone in the community captured a video of him riding away on that bicycle. I included it at the end of the memorial video I created after his passing.
There is something about that final image of him riding away that has always stayed with me.
It is funny, endearing, and completely true to who he was.
Here is a link to that video, I have it starting close to the end of the video . . . https://youtu.be/8gzCZdZOleY?si=P-42IvqrkAlQ6gtd&t=627
This is the song that is playing in the video that my nephew wrote and preformed . . . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxbZLBNhti8&list=RDvxbZLBNhti8&start_radio=1
My dad left a legacy not only through the jewelry business, but through the way he treated people. He had relationships throughout the community, and people remembered him with genuine affection.
That may be one of the greatest legacies any of us can leave.
A Business He Did Not Want Me to Enter
As I reflected on my father’s life, I also remembered something that makes me smile today.
When I was in high school and trying to decide what direction to take, my dad encouraged me to attend college. He did not particularly want me to enter the jewelry business.
In fact, he wanted me to stay away from it.
Like many fathers, he probably understood the challenges of the business better than I did. He knew the long hours, the pressures, the uncertainty, and the responsibility that came with it.
Thankfully, my brother and I did not listen.
We stayed in the industry, learned the trade, and carried the family story forward.
The jewelry business has certainly presented challenges, but it has also given me tremendous rewards. It has allowed me to become part of some of the most important moments in people’s lives.
Engagements, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, new babies, graduations, achievements, and memories are often represented by the pieces we create.
We may work with precious metals and beautiful stones, but the real value is found in the stories connected to them.
Carrying the Legacy Forward
Walking through Detroit reminded me that a legacy is rarely built through one grand moment.
It is built one decision at a time.
A journey from England to Canada.
A move to Detroit.
A first workshop in the Metropolitan Building.
A move several blocks down the street.
A son who entered the jewelry business.
A grandson who stayed in it even when his father encouraged him to choose another path.
And now, a great-grandson continuing the tradition as a fourth-generation jeweler.
Our family story has not been perfect. There have been hardships, losses, disagreements, risks, and uncertain seasons.
But through it all, the story continued.
As I prepare to lay my father to rest, I am reminded that our time here is limited. Buildings may be restored or torn down. Businesses may grow or change. Generations come and go.
But the way we live, the people we love, and the stories we pass down can continue long after we are gone.
I am grateful for my grandfather, my father, my uncles, my aunts, my brothers, my children, and every person who helped shape this family.
And I am grateful that, 100 years later, we are still here—still creating, still serving, and still helping people celebrate the meaningful moments of their lives.
The journey is not over.
There are more stories to tell, more lessons to learn, and, Lord willing, more generations to come.