New boutique set to open in historic Perrysburg building
PERRYSBURG – In January, Harold Jaffe Jewelers held a liquidation sale and closed its doors after nearly eight decades in business. But the family name that has long been associated with fine jewelry in the Toledo area is making a comeback.
I.M. Jaffe Jewelers is set to open in December in the former U.S. Post Office building on East Second Street in Perrysburg.
The owners, husband-and-wife team Ivan and Michelle Jaffe, are excited to revive the family business in the new location.
“We both grew up in Perrysburg and thought it was a really cool building,” Michelle Jaffe said. “It still has the original artwork in there on one wall, and the Smithsonian has the rights to it. We’re in the process of trying to get the building back to what it originally looked like.”
Ivan’s father, Harold Jaffe, opened his first jewelry store in 1946 on Cherry Street, across from what is now the St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center.
The business “bounced around” the area over the decades, Ivan Jaffe said, moving to Temperance and Petersburg, Mich., the Westgate area in Toledo, Country Charm Shopping Center in Perrysburg, and the Talmadge Road store across from the Franklin Park Mall.
When Ivan Jaffe’s brother, Jeff Jaffe, decided to retire at the end of 2023, the family posted on social media that “unfortunately this means Harold Jaffe Jewelers as you know it is going out of business.”
The Facebook post said Harold Jaffe Jewelers would sell off its $8 million in inventory at deep discounts and then close for good in January 2024.
“Laurie and I have retired and are living near our kids in the Atlanta area,” Jeff Jaffe said in an email. “We are pleased that Ivan and Michelle are continuing the legacy began by our Dad, Harold, in 1946. They are returning to their hometown roots!
“The new store in the historic Perrysburg post office promises to be a very cool venue and we wish them every success in their new venture,” he said.
Ivan Jaffe joined the family business in 1976 and earned the elite status of being a certified gemologist. Michelle Jaffe, who has three undergraduate degrees, said she studied jewelry design at Rollins College in Florida and worked at a jewelry store while a student.
She was the director of admissions at Rollins College and added with a laugh that “I never thought I’d end up working the jewelry business.”
The couple said they are “pouring ourselves into every detail of I.M. Jaffe” and will not only be selling and repairing fine jewelry and watches, but want to let clients get involved in every step of the process.
“Our clients are collaborators,” Michelle said. “We’re going to do a lot of hands-on experiences.”
She said that I.M. Jaffe will help customers who are capable and interested to take part in the creation of their own jewelry, including designing, carving the wax, stamping and hand-engraving.
“Everybody has a different comfort level,” she said. “We’re trying to figure out the mechanics right now, but the next generation really likes to have an experience.”
The couple said the new store will be environmentally minded, with “every diamond, gemstone, and precious metal selected with environmental and social responsibility in mind.”
They added that they are committed to “doing good locally and globally.”
Ivan said he and Michelle are looking forward to being active in the community.
“We will host community events, design sessions, and educational workshops,” he said. “We want to be involved.”
The couple said they expect the restoration of the 1940 Perrysburg post office building at 117 East Second Street in Perrysburg to be a “multi-year” project for their jewelry boutique and as a community gathering space.
TFP photos by Stephen Zenner:
