James Avery Opens First Store in Edinburg, Texas at Shoppes at Rio Grande Valley

James Avery Artisan Jewelry brought its hand-crafted rings, charms, and bracelets to Edinburg, Texas, for the first time when it opened a 3,300-square-foot store at the Shoppes at Rio Grande Valley on March 21, 2026. The location occupies the former Lane Bryant space at the mall, giving the Kerrville-based brand its first foothold in a city that Edinburg Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Raudel Garza said the company had been pursuing for some time. "We are excited to welcome James Avery to Edinburg," Garza said. "This will be their first location in our city, and we know they have been wanting to join our community for some time now."

John Toic, president of First Hartford Realty Corporation, the developer of the Shoppes, called James Avery "a beloved Texas brand with a loyal following" whose addition "further strengthens the diverse retail mix" at the property.

The opening marks a significant southward expansion for a company that began, improbably, with a wooden box. James Avery founded the business in 1954, selling jewelry at local summer camps in the Texas Hill Country and earning the nickname "Jeweler in the Hills." He was working out of his mother-in-law's garage in Kerrville at the time. By 1957, he had created 39 new designs, printed the company's first catalog, and hired his first employee, Fred Garcia. In 1967, he purchased 20 acres in Kerrville for a dedicated store and manufacturing facility, the land where the company's headquarters still sit today.

The brand's commissions over the decades tell a story of unusual reach for a regional jeweler. In 1969, James Avery designed a pin for the Apollo XII astronauts to wear on their lunar mission; NASA returned to the company for two more missions in 1989 and 1992. In 1987, the founder was commissioned to craft the silver communion vessels used by Pope John Paul II at mass in San Antonio.

James Avery passed away in 2018, but the family ownership held. His sons Chris and Paul Avery joined the company in the 1990s, with Chris serving as CEO from 2007 to 2019 before becoming Chairman of the Board of Directors. In 2016, James Avery's granddaughter Lindsey Tognietti joined the company, starting in retail before advancing to oversee customer service and brand marketing.

What had been 30 stores and 1,000 associates in 2000 has grown to more than 120 locations across Texas, Georgia, Louisiana, and Oklahoma, with studios, workshops, and manufacturing facilities in Kerrville, Fredericksburg, Cedar Park, Comfort, Hondo, and Corpus Christi. Total employment now exceeds 3,000. The company marked its 100th store opening in Del Rio, Texas, on March 24, 2021, the date that would have been James Avery's 100th birthday. The Edinburg store adds to a footprint that continues to push deeper into South Texas.