It all started on Jewelers Row in 1927, when Russell’s grandparents struck a match that would burn for generations – opening the family’s first store. His parents carried the torch taking over in 1966, and Russell grew up on those floors – learning the art, the stories, and the people. At 25, he opened his own shop, William Schwartz Jewelry in the heart of Rittenhouse Square. Back then, jewelry was everything – no consumer tech or anything digital – the best gifts were jewelry. He actually pioneered a layaway process built entirely on trust, he let customers take pieces home and pay in small weekly sums until the balance was settled. He has since stopped that offer.

Relationships were everything, Russell spent a lot of his time building these by putting time on the floor. People would eventually start saying “Go see Russell” whenever someone said they needed a good jeweler. His philosophy was simple and rare – teach first, sell later. He turned his jewelry counter into a stage and put on a show. He pulled customers into the diamond rather than just holding and pointing at one. He was so confident in what he does he sends people that just walked in to see other stores, encouraging them to do their research. They always came back.