Photos Ivan Felipe
Although each of your mementos carries cherished memories, your ring is the one that will go with you every step of the way. It will weather the storms with you and shine all the brighter after they’ve passed. It will gather scratches, but they can be mended. Greene’s Jewelers infuses your history into your ring, and with over a hundred years of collective family experience, they ensure that your ring stands the test of time just as they have. Forged from four generations of family love and wisdom, your dream ring comes with so much more than a promise.
“Whatever they’re wanting, that’s what we want them to have,” says owner Elaine Abercrombie. What began as “a little bitty store that you could hardly change your mind in” has become a staple of the Downtown Rome area that guarantees the perfect rings for every couple. As Elaine says: “There’s lots of different ways to celebrate your wedding or celebrate your love.” Whether you’re looking for the timeless beauty of the classic diamond ring or the allure of the atypical, Greene’s has it covered.
Greene’s has two showcases of wedding bands and engagement rings for couples to choose from. If they don’t find something that suits them, Elaine and her expert team of gemologists offer custom, hand-crafted rings that will.
Couples design a ring with one of the gemologists, and they will hand-craft it to perfection. Elaine finds that lab-grown diamonds are a popular choice for ring customization as a 100% carbon alternative to naturally-grown diamonds. If couples have a specific gemstone in mind, their gemologists can do that, as well. “There’s so many options,” Elaine says. “We’ve even done an engagement ring that was a turquoise.”
Elaine herself has worked at Greene’s nearly her whole life. Greene’s is only one of four jewelry stores owned and run by her family. Her great-grandfather opened the first in 1906 and, with the help of his training, each of his four sons went on to run their own jewelry stores. While one brother took care of their father’s store, Elaine’s grandfather was one of the three who set up shop in a different area of Georgia, which led him to Rome.
Elaine’s grandfather opened Greene’s in 1948 in what she describes as “a little bitty store that you could hardly change your mind in.” Aside from a move in location in 1978, Greene’s has helped couples find their perfect rings for nearly eighty years, and Elaine is a testament to her family’s legacy. With three generations of jewelers behind her and two certificates from the “most revered [gemology institutes] in the industry,” it’s no wonder Greene’s is “the oldest continually running business on Broad Street.”
“They worked their tails off getting the business started and keeping it going,” and she does the same. She and her staff ensure that you leave with a ring that stands the test of time and shines all the brighter as the years pass, just as Greene’s has.
To see more of Greene’s work, follow them on Facebook at Greene’s Jewelers, Inc. To find your ring, visit Greene’s Jewelers at 328 Broad St (walk-ins and appointments welcome) or call them at (706) 291-7236.
