CRAFTED WITH HEARTTM
SINCE 1954
CRAFTED
WITH
HEARTTM
SINCE 1954
Our founder James Avery first started making jewelry in Kerrville, Texas in 1954, with one mission: to create art he found meaningful in the hope that others would find it meaningful too. Today, we still proudly design and craft our jewelry in Texas, and still strive to create designs that offer both lasting value and lasting meaning. Because we believe meaning is what makes jewelry – and life – even more beautiful.
OUR
family-owned
COMPANY
HISTORY
1944
James Avery joined the Army Air Corps and trained at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. He fell in love with Texas and the Hill Country and later settled here.
1951
After teaching himself to design jewelry, James Avery made his first design, the Plain Latin Cross. It’s still in our line today.
1954
Out of his mother-in-law’s garage, James Avery officially started his business. He gained success by selling jewelry out of a wooden box at local summer camps. He became known as the “Jeweler in the Hills.”
1957
James Avery created 39 new designs for the line, printed his first catalog and hired his first employee, Fred Garcia.
1967
James Avery purchased 20 acres of land in Kerrville, TX for his first store and manufacturing facility. The company’s headquarters are still located here today.
1969
James Avery designed a pin for the Apollo XII astronauts to wear for their lunar mission. He was commissioned by NASA twice more for missions in 1989 and 1992.
1987
James Avery was commissioned to craft the silver communion vessels used by Pope John Paul II at Mass in San Antonio.
1990s
Chris and Paul Avery joined the company to work alongside their dad. Chris went on to serve as CEO from 2007 to 2019 and is now the Chairman of the Board of Directors.
2000
By the turn of the century, we were operating 30 retail stores and had over 1000 associates.
2016
Lindsey Avery-Tognietti (James Avery’s granddaughter) joined the company. She started in retail and now oversees the Customer Service and Brand Marketing teams.
2018
We marked the passing of our founder, James Avery. We carry on his legacy today through our commitment to artistry, meaning, our Guests, our Associates and our Communities.
2021
During the year that our founder, James Avery, would have celebrated his 100th birthday, we opened our 100th store in Del Rio, TX.
2024
James Avery celebrates its 70th anniversary as a company.
Still Crafting with Heart in Texas
Today, we continue the artisan legacy. Our jewelry is designed in the Texas Hill Country, with more than 90 percent of our pieces crafted in Texas using the finest materials sourced worldwide.
OUR TEXAS WORKSHOPS
What started in a Kerrville, TX garage in 1954 has grown to multiple studios and workshops across Texas. Learn more about our locations on the map.
- Kerrville
- Fredericksburg
- Cedar Park
- Comfort
- Hondo
- Corpus Christi
KERRVILLE, TX
Set in the beautiful Texas Hill Country, Kerrville was where it all started. Today, it’s where you’ll find our biggest facility (over 54,000 square feet), a retail store, a visitor’s center, and our headquarters – on Avery Road, of course.
FREDERICKSBURG, TX
One of the most-visited small towns in Texas, Fredericksburg is home to one of our workshops plus a beautiful main street retail store. This workshop serves as the starting point to much of our crafting process.
CEDAR PARK, TX
North of the bustling city of Austin, in the tree-filled suburb of Cedar Park, you’ll find “The Artisan at James Avery Plaza.” Here, our regional headquarters, retail store and offices are surrounded by live oaks, green spaces, and trails which emulate the retreat-like experience of our Hill Country headquarters.
COMFORT, TX
Just down the highway from our headquarters, in the cozy town of Comfort, TX, we craft our own tools to maintain our high quality.
HONDO, TX
Forty miles west of San Antonio, Hondo is home to a growing workshop where many of our pieces are created.
CORPUS CHRISTI, TX
Our newest workshop opened in 2022 in Corpus Christi, near the beautiful Gulf of Mexico.
MEET THE ARTISANS
We’d like you to meet a few of the artisans and craftspeople who bring our jewelry to life.
Christine’s personal philosophy is to “always keep learning and growing.” That relentless dedication to her craft is apparent in her jewelry designs, where she always ensures each piece looks and feels just right. Though she’s only been with James Avery a short time, she shares the same deep appreciation for the brand as people who’ve worked here for decades, and embraces the idea that everything should be crafted with heart.
Mary loves everything about her job at James Avery: the family atmosphere, the heritage of integrity, and the work she does every day crafting handmade artisan pieces. She loves knowing that each piece she creates is going to be unique and different, yet beautiful in its own way. Mary’s favorite James Avery pieces are our butterfly designs, as they gracefully represent the feelings of happiness, freedom and renewal.
Having grown up in Kerrville, Tucar has been around James Avery his entire life. So it’s almost no coincidence that Tucar ended up working for James Avery for the last 10 years. Like our founder, Tucar believes in quality over quantity when designing jewelry and crafting pieces with meaning. He enjoys seeing satisfied Customers outside of work, and even seeing people wearing James Avery pieces all over the world when he travels.
Phil has designed jewelry for James Avery for over 19 years. He worked closely with our founder and carries forward Mr. Avery’s desire to do the right thing, not the easy thing. Phil finds inspiration for his designs through family connection, faith, painting and drawing, sailing and traveling.
In a short time, Grace learned a whole spectrum of the jewelry- making process, from the intricacies of enameling to Customer connection in engraving. Grace’s favorite part of her job is creating pieces that have so much meaning – from wedding bands to Mother’s Day charms – and seeing Customers so happy with their pieces. Like many, she enjoys the family-like environment, especially since her dad works here, too.
MAKING THE JEWELRY
Our jewelry is crafted through a series of steps that have been honed over time for quality and value.
DESIGN
This is where it all starts. This phase involves sketching, brainstorming, and product evolution to create the latest James Avery designs.
MOLD-MAKING
Using a custom model, unique molds are created for each design. The molds are then used to make multiple wax replicas which are assembled into the shape of a tree.
CASTING
After being encased inside a canister with plaster of Paris, the wax is burned out creating a cavity that is filled with molten metal.
BENCH
The cooled metal is removed from the canister and the pieces are cut from the trees. The pieces are then sanded smooth and crafted into finished designs through various bench processes.
FINISH
Depending on the jewelry, “finish” can mean a few different things. Some pieces will require stone setting or enameling. Some will need to be engraved. Some are assembled. But at the end, every single piece of jewelry will have our signature James Avery logo stamped into it and receive a final polishing.
GUESTS
Care Beyond
the Craft
We want every James Avery Artisan Jewelry experience to be of lasting value. That is why we offer so many services – many free and fast – at our stores.
Learn MoreASSOCIATES
Care Beyond
the Craft
We’ve created a supportive, inclusive environment where Associates work, grow, and feel they belong.
Learn MoreCOMMUNITIES
Care Beyond
the Craft
We’re just as dedicated to our communities as we are to our craft. We support numerous nonprofit organizations in communities where we live and work.
Learn More