Thirty years of jewels and community commitment

By Kate Walters and Rechelle Zammit

Oct 22, 2024

Stephen Schneider is celebrating Stephens Jewellers’ 30th anniversary sale. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

For Stephen and Michelle Schneider, the jewellery business is in their blood.

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Michelle’s grandfather was a watchmaker by trade and opened one of Shepparton’s first jewellery stores – Gerrards the Jewellers – in 1951.

Stephen and Michelle followed in his footsteps, establishing their own jewellery store in the same location where Gerrards had once stood in Shepparton in 1994.

Originally established as Shepparton Showcase Jewellers, the business has been known as Stephens Jewellers for years.

This year marks three decades of business in the community for the couple.

“It’s been incredibly rewarding on many levels,” Stephen said.

He said he and his wife were welcomed by the Shepparton business community when they first moved back to the area in the early 90s, and they quickly got involved to see how they could help grow Shepparton as a business centre.

He said the family prided themselves on offering a diverse range of pieces, because everyone’s taste in jewellery is unique.

“Supporting local people to bring their emotional milestones to life through a piece of jewellery is really rewarding and what gets us up every day,” Stephen said.