Our History
In 1890, brothers Gustaf (Gus) Jonson, a watchmaker, and Johannes (Joe) Bengtson Sylvan, a jeweler, completed their apprenticeships and made the momentous decision to leave their home in Sweden to seek their fortune in America. They booked passage to the port city of Savannah, Georgia eager to set their plans in motion. It was the dawn of a new, modern era defined by innovation, exploration and optimism. Anything and everything was possible.
The brothers quickly found work with a Savannah jeweler and began to build for their dream. Four years later, they were ready to find the right location for their shop and split up to explore the possibilities. Gus made his way to Columbia, South Carolina and Joe went to Montgomery, Alabama. Gus arrived in Columbia to find a vibrant city with a growing economy - everything they were looking for.
On September 22, 1897, Gus opened the doors to Gustaf Sylvan’s High Grade Jewelers at 1524 Main Street. The next day an article in The Columbia State extolled the elegance of the new store...“Mr. Gustaf Sylvan has opened a highgrade jewelry store at number 1524 Main Street. He has fitted his store handsomely with walnut and glass cases, which show his elegant stock off to good advantage. Mr. Sylvan proposes to cater to the best trade of Columbia.”
Joe joined Gus in Columbia six months later, and on March 1, 1898, the last ad for Gustaf Sylvan’s Jewelers ran in The State. The following day, the first ad for Sylvan Brothers Jewelers appeared. Their dream had become a reality.
On June 24, 1905, Sylvan Brothers moved to the Second Empire-style building on the corner of Main and Hampton streets where Sylvan’s Jewelers is located to this day. A year later, they installed a beautiful four-sided clock on the sidewalk in front of the store. Today the Sylvan Building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and the Sylvan’s clock is a cherished local landmark.
One of the Sylvan brothers’ earliest commissions was to design the official ring for the University of South Carolina, which for years were handmade in the store.