Sterling Jewelers

Sterling Jewelers, Inc. is an American specialty jewelry company headquartered in Akron, Ohio. The company was founded in 1910 by Henry Shaw (the father of Jerry Shaw, the chairman emeritus of Sterling today), from LeRoy's Jewelers in Lorain, Ohio. Sterling Jewelers is a wholly owned subsidiary of UK-based Signet Jewelers Limited (listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SIG), having been acquired in 1987. Sterling is the largest specialty fine jewelry company in the United States by sales and number of stores. The company operates chains of fine jewelry stores in the United States, with 1,414 stores in all 50 states as of 5 August 2008. Mark Light is the President and Chief Executive of Sterling Inc.

History

Signet Jewelers, based in the U.K., is a specialty retail jeweler, with stores in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Republic of Ireland, and Channel Islands. Approximately 78% of company sales are derived from the 12 different store brands operating in the U.S. They include Kay Jewelers, Jared-The Galleria of Jewelry, J.B. Robinson, Marks & Morgan, and Belden Jewelers, among others (all of which operate as Sterling divisions).