Established 1970 by Richard Armstrong, the Jeweler’s Workshop is the oldest singly owned jewelry store in Dane County. Starting as a small kiosk, the Workshop has matured into a “full line” jewelry store specializing in custom design work, repairs and appraisals. (see Richard’s story and the complete history below)

As a jewelers’ workshop, we are known for one-of-a-kind, hand crafted fine jewelry created on the premises, inspired by you ... our customers.

Our award-winning designers use precious metals and unique gems, including the exclusive Star 129 diamonds. We cast and fabricate, from the contemporary to the traditional, all in house.

For over 40 years we have been building our business based on our commitment to quality and satisfied customer referrals.

Richard Armstrong ... The Man, His Story, and The Workshop.

I started making jewelry during my years as an undergraduate, both out of interest and self-preservation. I was taking a heavy load of science and math courses so my playtime was expressed in jewelry and art classes. I always had an entrepreneurial spirit and worked at my own business from an early age, digging hard shell clams in Huntington, Long Island. My jewelry adventure started after college in the lofts of the bead district in New York City selecting odd lots of fabulous beads.

In 1968 I moved to Madison, answering an ad for a complete jewelry shop for only $300! I became a mall vendor - making 6 to 8 hair barrettes every night and selling them all the next day.

I moved into a basement location on State Street selling my jewelry through a shoe store. Being so successful, the next move was to around the corner to Gorham Street, a 440 square foot former garage facing the wrong way against traffic. The downtown area was certainly different then. I worked hard and added employees to a business steadily catering to a growing market for custom jewelry and repairs.

By now the Workshop was firmly established in Madison’s downtown area and finally in 1978 the Jewelers Workshop moved to 306 State Street, where we stayed for over 25 years. In the fall of 1999, a Westside Madison location was added and run for 10 years in the Sauk-Point Shopping Center.

In September of 2005 we started a new chapter in the Workshop’s history by relocating our downtown store to North Sherman Avenue across from Maple Bluff by Burrows Park.  In January of 2010 we closed our west side store and consolidated all our inventory in the Sherman Avenue store.

If you have yet to visit us on the north side, we have ample onsite parking, an open and exciting workshop on the second floor and a spectacular showroom on the ground level.  We look forward to serving you for the next forty years.  See you at the shop!

Richard