Erik Runyan Jewelers isn’t just a jewelry store – it’s also a part of Vancouver’s history going back more than 100 years.
W.L. Runyan, founder of the business, started off with a watch repair bench at the end of Main Street by the old ferry docks, years before the I-5 Bridge was built. In 1917, he moved up from the docks to found his business in a nearby building, and from there, four generations of Runyans have operated the jewelers – including W.L.’s great grandson and current president, Erik Runyan.
“My great grandfather would gather watches from people in town, and from the bus drivers in that area by the docks, and he started the business right there,” Erik Runyan said. “In 2017 we moved the business back to 5th and Main in the Hudson building – and it was great because 100 years later, we made it back to our original neighborhood.”
The company had moved uptown for many years, but moving back to the starting spot just felt like coming home – even though the business has transformed significantly from its early days, he said.
“Four generations have participated in this business,” Erik said of the homecoming. “It’s something I’m very proud of.”
After W.L. founded the business, Erik’s grandfather, Gerald, expanded it into a full-scale jewelry store from the 1940s through the 1960s, performing repairs, engraving and creating original pieces with precious metals and diamonds.
“I remember him telling me stories from World War II and the Kaiser Shipyards,” Erik said. “The people at the Shipyards would work all night there, and he would go home for dinner and then reopen the shop at midnight for the shift workers.”
Erik’s father, Steve, who took over the business in the 1970s and ran it until Erik took over in 1998, was very much a bench jeweler. And watching how hard his father worked instilled a strong work ethic in his son, Erik said.
“Early on I had the opportunity to watch my father do his thing,” he said. “I got to see the mechanics of shop life because he would take work home.”
In those days Erik and the family’s other children would come in and work during busy holiday seasons like Valentine’s Day and Christmas. Often, they would make bows with the bow machine, which is something he remembers as fun.
“It’s such a living, breathing thing, this business,” Erik said. “There’s a lot of pride in being part of the community.”
When Erik took over, he became fascinated with diamonds and the diamond market. He traveled to Europe in his 20s and met with cutters, manufacturers and other industry experts and brought that knowledge back to the shop.
“My grandfathers were more into mechanics, I dug into diamonds,” he said.
He also refocused the business to center on four key areas: Diamonds, custom design, bridal jewelry, and vintage and estate jewelry. Part of the reason for that was that big box jewelers can out-compete local craft jewelers in certain areas – like inexpensive mass-produced pieces. So, Erik decided to focus the business on the areas it could best compete.
“We’ve had to narrow down and focus on what we do a little bit more,” he said.
The business has also changed dramatically in the last 10 years. A lot of things that used to be done by hand are now done through a CAD 3D modeling computer program and 3D printed wax molds.
Customers can even come in with their own designs on CAD or from Pinterest and have custom pieces made to their specifications.
“Jewelry is actually pretty high tech now,” Erik said. “We sell gold and diamonds, but it doesn’t resemble what it used to be. The speed of the technology – you’ve got to take the ride.”
Despite the technology, though, “the human element is still everything for us,” he added.
While Runyan’s does print the computer model in wax, it still takes hands-on crafting to turn it into a fine piece with set gemstones and all the finishing touches, Erik said.
“It will never leave the artisan phase here,” he noted.
The changes he’s made seem to be paying off. Generally, the store has seen 12-15% growth each year in recent years, after rebounding from a big downturn during the Great Recession in 2008, he said.
Many of Runyan’s customers have also been coming to the store for generations, and lots of friendships have developed over the years. In fact, the store hasn’t had to do a lot of advertising because of that, Erik said.
“We love our customers,” he said. “We just want to be part of their lives and be their friends.”
