About Us

Born from Leo and Fanny Chariton's zest for jewelry and beauty, Great American Jewelry began its tradition almost a century ago in 1920 in a tiny Brooklyn living room furnished with dazzling handcrafted jewelry. Their sons, Ted and Morris, joined Leo and Fanny; the latter who carried the family mantle forward four decades later into Jamaica, Queens. Morris and his wife Carmen opened the Linda Shop, where together with their son Larry, brought beautiful fine and custom jewelry to a vibrant New York City community.

30 years later, Morris and Carmen moved their family and business to Long Island, opening a small mom-and-pop store in Massapequa, NY, the childhood home of the likes of Jerry Seinfeld and Alec Baldwin. In the late 1980s and throughout the 90s, customers and families flooded the Linda Shop, lining up and taking a number to both buy beautiful pieces while also building a relationship with Larry, Morris and Carmen, whose business philosophy was rooted in "relationships before retail." The Linda Shop became the preeminent jewelry store on Long Island, earning customers who routinely shopped loyally for two decades.

As Morris and Carmen passed away, their son Lawrence carried his family's legacy forward, running the business and putting his sons— Jonathan, Jordan and Jared—on the sales floor for their turn in shaping the family legacy. In 2008, Laurie, Larry’s wife, opened Great American Jewelry Store in Massapequa Park, NY. Great American was born with the vision of creating a one-stop retail experience built on designer brands, value and extraordinary, intimate service.

With expert diamond setters, watchmakers, and a master repair department, along with our watchdog Rusty, we created a shop that features everything from that small token gift to the most beautiful, fancy colored diamonds. Great American personalizes concierge-style boutique service, aiming to tap into your inner fashionista, but more importantly, helping you create and celebrate the milestone moments of a lifetime. Our calling card revolves around brand collections,  various affordable price points and unique jewelry and accessories. Most importantly, the customer experience is what we live for, as without you, there's no Great American.

And people are taking notice. Nationally, ABC's primetime "What Would You Do?" with John Quinones selected Great American for a fun segment on cheating husbands. Locally, Great American Jewelry has previously been Voted Best Jewelry Store and Best Gold Buyer by the Long Island Press. Most recently, we've entered the digital space and launched our completely re-designed e-commerce website for a memorable one-stop-shop experience.

Come on in or shop online and help us as we enter our second century helping you add a little more sparkle to your story.