“We’ve been in business for 142 years and counting. That means we’ve experienced feast and famine, earthquakes, fires, and pandemics, war and peace. Resilience is our middle name.”—Ame Van Dyke, owner and director of community service
Since opening its doors to business 142 years ago, E.R. Sawyer Fine Jewelry in Santa Rosa and St. Helena has really seen it all—continuously emerging successful. “We’ve been in business for 142 years and counting,” says Ame Van Dyke, owner and director of community service. “That means we’ve experienced feast and famine, earthquakes, fires, and pandemics, war and peace. Resilience is our middle name.”
During the pandemic, Van Dyke and her team used their time to closely look at how to improve their Fourth Street and Main Street St. Helena locations. “The times that our store was under a mandatory closure, we took the opportunity to repaint, reorganized and refresh our shop, as well as work on our online presence,” says Van Dyke. “We worked hard to keep all of our team members employed at both of our E.R. Sawyer Jewelers locations, and they continued to work hard on projects that they had going at the time.”
Being voted the best year after year is no wonder since E.R. Sawyer puts clients No. 1 on its priority list.
“Our team maintained their relationships with their clients checking in and making sure they were doing well, and letting them know we would be open as soon as we could,” she says. “Also, Redwood Credit Union and our Santa Rosa and St. Helena chambers were instrumental in keeping us on top of every opportunity to help ourselves, and we are forever grateful!”
After reopening, the store welcomed clients back while following strict COVID-19 guidelines and procedures with arms wide open and from a distance. “We welcomed our clients back with appointments in the limited format and they were grateful to feel safe in our stores,” says Van Dyke. “With us now being in the Orange Tier, we feel hopeful as we look to the future of E.R. Sawyer Jewelers, both in Downtown Santa Rosa and Main Street St. Helena.”
What has the best jewelry store in the North Bay learned over this past year as far as trends in the industry and customer demand? “We’re finding that many people took the time while they were stuck at home to go through their jewelry, which has led to them wanting us to do repairs for them, as well as custom work using their existing jewelry pieces,” says Van Dyke. “Also, many are wanting to express their love for others at this unprecedented time by gifting them with a sentimental piece of jewelry. This includes anniversary and engagement rings. Many decided to go forward with these special moments, recognizing that they are most importantly about the love between two people.”
Love, yet again, never fails. “Love is definitely the trend!” She says.
E.R. Sawyer continues to be a local favorite, and the appreciation is mutual. “We’re grateful for every one of our clients,” says Van Dyke. “We can’t imagine not being there for all of the special moments we’ve been a part of, and we look forward to so many more in the future.”
Photos courtesy of E.R. Sawyer Jewelers
