This Family Jewelry Store Built From Very Humble Beginnings to Become a Fixture in The Woodlands — The Story of Robichau’s
A Spa Day For Your Jewelry?
BY Laura Landsbaum // 02.28.23The Robichau brothers Jason, John and Matt keep what their dad started with Robichau's Jewelry going and growing.
This is the first in series of stories on distinctive businesses that help make The Woodlands be The Woodlands. First up, here’s a look at Robichau’s Jewelry, which has been a fixture in the community for 37 years.
Robichau’s Jewelry arrived in 1986 when Jack and Lynda Robichau opened up a storefront near Grogan’s Point in The Woodlands. Jack Robichau opened the store with just 12 pieces of jewelry, nine of them his wife’s, and some wax jewelry molds.
The current Robichau’s Jewelry store marks a huge leap from those humble beginnings. The elegant store in The Woodlands’ Panther Creek village neighborhood has a second generation of Robichaus — Jack Robichau’s sons — at the helm.
“My dad was one of 13 kids,” co-owner John Robichau tells PaperCity The Woodlands. “He borrowed money from all of them and his mom to open the store in 1986 and in just one year he’d paid them back.”
John Robichau has fond memories of his early days at the store when as a boy he’d be responsible for putting flyers on cars in the Grogan’s Mill shopping center. His mom Lynda drove a Conroe ISD bus for five years, primarily to make sure the family had health insurance while the jewelry store was just starting.
Jack Robichau’s business philosophies were handed down to his sons. He taught them to never judge a book by its cover and to treat customers honestly and fairly. Those philosophies helped this jewelry store grow into a community fixture. The three brothers — John, Matt and Jason Robichau — bought their father’s business in 2015.
Robichau’s Jewelry moved to Panther Creek in 2007, and has since doubled in space. The move was a good one, in John Robichau’s estimation, allowing customers to no longer hunt to find the jewelry store. The old Robichau’s Jewelry store was wedged between a Stop-N-Go convenience store and a mechanic shop.
Robichau’s is a full service jeweler, with a wide range of services on site — everything from designing jewelry to appraisals to repairs. The staff is GIA (Gemological Institute of America) trained and possesses comprehensive knowledge of diamonds and colored stones. The Robichau brothers and other key staffers attend the annual June JCK trade show in Las Vegas for industry professionals to stay current on trends.
Speaking of those trends. . .
“Layering is very popular right now, along with bright stones — pinks and purples, along with turquoise,” John Robichau says. “Mixing colors — yellow and white — is very popular too.”
Another trend that’s been very popular has been permanent jewelry — jewelry that is soldered in the store so there’s no clasp. It’s essentially customized and made to fit.
“You buy the chain by the inch, and you can add charms,” John Robichau says. “While the bracelet, anklet or necklace isn’t removable, it can be easily cut off for any medical procedure and then can be reattached.
“It’s popular with sisters and with mothers and daughters.”
Robichau’s Jewelry also holds special events. A Spa Day for jewelry is coming up on March 30 and 31 when these experts will clean jewelry pieces and check prongs on rings.
Robichau’s carries jewelry lines from Simon G, Zeghani, Allison Kaufman, Elle and Cathy Cook jewelry. In addition to The Woodlands store in Panther Creek, the brothers opened a second Spring store at 3478 Discovery Creek Boulevard, suite No. 200, in Spring four years ago.
The Woodlands location is open 10 am to 6 pm Mondays through Fridays, and 10 am to 3 pm on Saturdays. The Spring store is closed Sundays and Mondays.
PaperCity The Woodlands is coming soon, bringing an elevated look at one of the most dynamic communities in all of Texas. This will be a hub that makes you feel like an insider without having to do the hard work to gain access. You’ll be the friend that knows the best place to grab great Thai food, the perfect spot to get a pedicure and where to grab dessert after a wonderful concert at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion.
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