After 120 years on Columbia’s Main Street, jewelry shop will move to the Vista
A Columbia jewelry store that has been on Main Street for more than a century is set to move to a different district in the city.
Sylvan’s Jewelers, which has been at 1500 Main St. since 1905, will move this fall to the corner of Gervais and Gadsden streets in the Vista, as noted in a Monday release from commercial real estate firm Colliers South Carolina. The building on Gervais Street was once home to the South Carolina Railroad Depot building, and more recently was home to Wet Willie’s restaurant and bar, which closed in 2023.
“We couldn’t be more excited to unveil our new location — featuring a much larger, thoughtfully designed space that pays tribute to Columbia’s rich history,” Kiley Schiffman Storrs, chief operating officer of Sylvan’s owner Schiffman’s Jewelers, said in a statement. “This move reflects our unwavering commitment to extraordinary service, with dedicated onsite jewelers and watchmakers ready to care for our clients most cherished jewelry and timepieces. It’s more than just a new store, it’s a celebration of Columbia’s heritage, elevated by modern luxury.”
Sylvan’s was founded in 1897 by brothers Gus and Joe Sylvan, and moved into the space at 1500 Main in 1905. It was acquired by North Carolina’s Schiffman’s Jewelers in 1985, Monday’s release noted. Aside from its more than a century of offering jewelery on Main Street, Sylvan’s has been known for the ornate, four-sided clock it installed at the corner of Main and Hampton streets. That clock will remain in place on that corner, officials said.
The move to the Vista will give Sylvan’s more space, some of which will be used to expand and enhance the store’s offering of high-end Rolex watches. Colliers South Carolina represented the Arnold Companies in leasing the Vista space to Sylvan’s.
“The new space will allow Sylvan’s to offer a much deeper variety of jewelry to the entire Midlands region,” Colliers’ Rox Pollard said in a statement. “The reuse of this historic space will provide Sylvan’s customers with a location they can enjoy for the next 100 years.”
The Vista — which touted the coming arrival of Sylvan’s in a weekend Facebook post — continues to be one of the capital city’s hottest districts, stuffed with bars, clothing stores, restaurants, art galleries, hotels and more.
