Montrose Jewelers owner eyes his golden years

Large windows allow passersby to peer into Montrose Jewelers on Honolulu Avenue. Wooden cases contain hundreds of rings, bracelets and necklaces, some that sparkle and others that hold treasured jewels like sapphires and black diamonds. And paired with those jewels, during the last 15 years, have been the store’s owners, brothers Jack and Henry Abadjian.

But that will change next year.

Both brothers are giving up ownership of the staple jewelry shop that has been in Montrose since 1959. A third-generation worker in the business, Jack Abadjian considers the move his retirement.

“I’m 64, and I want to take it easy,” said Jack Abadjian, who also runs Blue Diamond Co. in downtown Los Angeles. “I can spend time with my family.”

Henry Abadjian, 57, confirmed the announcement, but declined to comment further.

As news of the Jack Abadjian’s retirement spread across social media, Facebook users in a Sparr Heights group discussed the store throughout the years. They mentioned the store’s previous owner, John Kumjian, and his service during more than two decades of owning the store.

A handful of people wrote in posts that Kumjian was “helpful” and “honest.” That’s the experience Linda Krantz has taken away from her visits at Montrose Jewelers since 1969. A senior at Crescenta Valley High School at the time, Krantz recalled the first piece of jewelry her parents purchased for her as a graduation gift — a dainty pearl ring.

Ever since, the store has been Krantz’s go-to establishment for jewelry.

“We always went back to them because they were courteous,” Krantz said about the store’s owners, especially Henry Abadjian. “They were incredibly fair and friendly.”

At her home on Saturday, Krantz sifted through a handful of pieces purchased at Montrose Jewelers. She held two bracelets — one silver and the other gold — both in the form of her favorite shape, a heart. She clutched the pieces, all gifts from her husband of 11 years, Bill.

“[Through the years], we would catch up with [the] owners, talk about their kids,” Krantz recalled. “It feels like home in there. All the shops in Montrose do.”

As of now, the store won’t close. Instead, it’s expected to have a new owner who may start at the end of January, though the deal hasn’t been finalized.

Trips to the store, nearly every morning and some Saturdays, will be missed by Jack Abadjian.

“It’s a very nice town. [Customers] were friendly,” he said. “We enjoyed doing business in Montrose.”