With 10 locations throughout Connecticut, Michaels Jewelers is one of the state's leading merchants of diamonds and fine jewelry and is a family-run business whose tradition spans over five generations. Founded in 1885 in Halifax, Nova Scotia by Abraham L. Michaels, it was established as a wholesale jewelry business when Abraham's son, Irving, Sr., moved the family to New York City and founded Irving Michaels & Company in 1905. Michaels' first U.S. jewelry store opened its doors in New York City in 1911. Irving, his wife, Martha, and a partner opened the first Connecticut store in New Haven in 1915 as Michaels Maurer. When the couple bought out Maurer's interest, they opened a second location in Bridgeport in 1916, a third in Waterbury in 1919 and by 1926 had expanded to Meriden, Hartford, Torrington, Bristol, and Providence, RI. In 1948, the Middletown and Manchester stores joined the empire. Today, you can find Michaels Jewelers in Danbury, Orange, Avon, Bristol, Torrington as well as in major malls at Westfarms, Manchester Buckland Hills, Westfield Trumbull, Westfield Meriden and Waterbury Brass Mill Center. In 2010, Michaels opened Pandora retail stores in Westfarms, Danbury Fair Mall and Stamford Town Center in addition to Pandora boutiques in all of their Michaels locations. In 2012, Michaels expanded their Pandora retail locations into New York, New Jersey, Arizona and New Mexico in The Westchester, Paramus Park Mall, Menlo Park Mall, Willowbrook Mall, Coronado Center, Tucson Mall and Park Place Mall. More recently, Michaels expanded their boutique in Trumbull to a full store in 2015. Michaels Jewelers has pioneered several prestigious designations throughout their long history in Connecticut, having been the first jeweler in the state to earn Certified Gemologist and Appraiser titles. Michaels continues to have the only AGS Accredited Gem Laboratory and one of the largest Appraisal Departments in the Connecticut area.