Goodman’s Jewelers spent the morning handing out cash to 4 Madison-area non-profits, including $10,000 to the American Family Children’s Hospital. That large check came from Jewelers for Children via a Facebook contest the group ran in October. Goodman’s Jewelers nominated the children’s hospital after the JFC announced their Local Grant Program would fund ten $10,000 grants for local children’s charities around the country.
Almost everyone thinks of Christmas or New Years as the best dates to have that diamond engagement ring ready and propose to the person of your dreams; the season is filled with happiness and fond memories that it only seems fitting to add another fantastic memory to that time of the year. But often forgotten is the Thanksgiving proposal. (more…)
The Next 80 Years
What a great 80 years Goodman’s Jewelers has had as part of the Madison Community. 80 years could mean something different for anyone or anything. It could take 80 years for some trees to reach their full maturity. 80 years is how long the BBC has been broadcasting internationally. Some couples even make it to their 80th wedding anniversary – a tribute to the belief in permanent love!
We spent the past few months talking about memories and asking our customers to share their “Moments that Mattered” with us. We heard from countless folks about the moment the engagement ring appeared, we heard stories of wedding day bliss marked with the gold or platinum rings that tied the couple together and, we heard about the surprise on Christmas morning of a diamond pendant hanging from the Christmas Tree. These are great memories that will always be cherished.
Now, we look towards the next 80 years and what it will mean to be Madison’s jeweler through the rest of the century. Running a business in a community is more than just opening up a shop and selling something. It means joining forces with other businesses to help build the community. It means giving back the community that gives us so much. It means caring for and nurturing the younger generation that will soon be pushing our community forward.
We want to thank the three Madison area non-profits that allowed us to give back to them during our 80th Anniversary: Goodman’s Community Center, Gio’s Garden and Coaches vs. Cancer Wisconsin. Because of our great customers, we raised $3,195 for those three organizations. But we aren’t done yet.
Jewelers for Children is holding a fantastic campaign to give 10 organizations $10,000 in the form of a grant. We put the American Family Children’s Hospital into the mix for this competitive grant! You can help get that $10,000 for our local children’s hospital by heading to the JFC Facebook page starting Oct. 15th and voting! Help us help this great organization! Vote often…and let’s keep our community strong for another 80 years!
For 80 years, Goodman’s Jewelers has been serving our friends and neighbors in Madison. When Irwin and Bob Goodman opened in 1933, they set out to offer the best jewelry at affordable prices from people you could trust. The store has remained a fixture on State Street, in its original location since Irwin visited Madison for a track event and noticed the store was for sale.
In 1998, I bought the store from the Goodman’s. I started working here in 1983 as part of the sales team and have never had a desire to leave. I wanted to continue the Goodman’s tradition of creating timeless jewelry that would last forever and create memories that could never be taken away. Just like the Goodman’s Brothers, I have a sense of civic pride for Madison and could never imagine a downtown State Street without the Goodman’s name being seen in the 200 block.
We are celebrating 80 years of serving Madison. And we want you to be part of this special celebration! Many of you have created memories with jewelry from Goodman’s or maybe your parents or grandparents did. We want to hear from you and share that story with everyone. Plus, we are giving away a fantastic Past, Present and Future Diamond Ring valued at $2,100.00 to the person whose story touches us all!
Click here to learn more, tell us your story and enter the contest!
And join us Oct. 4th and 5th for the 80th Anniversary Celebration! We will be giving 8% of sales back to 3 local charities. Customers making purchases during the event will have the opportunity to pick the Goodman Community Center, Gio’s Garden, or Coaches vs Cancer WI!
An Heirloom Diamond Made New
The decision to propose isn’t always easy. Sure, there are many out there that know right away they have found their soul mate; they have found that special person who they want to share the rest of their lives with. For every one of those, there are others who have a hard time making the decision not because they do not love the person they are with…but because they are afraid of the actual act of proposing!
Eric made the decision to propose to Angie but was nervous about the ring and whether or not she would like it. There’s always some trepidation when it comes to the engagement ring. Sure, she would more than likely say yes and all would be wonderful, but would she truly love the ring? Eric had been to Goodman’s before and we had worked with him on other jewelry, but this was big. What could we do with a diamond that had been his Grandmother’s that was then handed down to his own Mother? It had to be something special since it was going to the woman of his dreams, but it was still a family heirloom.

We took the diamond and fashioned a personalized ring that shared Eric’s grandmother’s and mother’s special engagement with Angie’s special day. When he proposed to Angie, she couldn’t stop crying… because she didn’t think it was actually happening? Not entirely. The ring was so unique, Angie instantly knew Eric had worked especially hard to make an heirloom her own! The custom made ring could never be duplicated even though it had special memories for Eric’s family. Now, starting their own life together, they would create special memories that would forever be intertwined.
That’s why we are Madison’s Diamond Store! We want to help you create remarkable memories!
The Christmas Engagement Surprise
Figuring out a way to surprise her was going to be hard. She was with me when I started shopping for an engagement ring and that was probably one of the smartest decisions I made…other than asking her to spend the rest of my life with me. I knew she wanted something unique, something different that really stood out, just like she stood out for me when we started dating. I wanted that ring to remind her every day of my love and devotion.
When we got to Goodman’s Jewelers, she spent a lot of time searching out the diamond style, from a Cordova to Whitehouse Brothers to something from the Naledi Collection. They were all fantastic diamonds and she was certain there was a unique engagement ring for her. She offered some ideas and, at some point, without her around, I went back to Goodman’s and they helped me wow the woman of my dreams! Goodman’s made her ring something that is so very special, taking several of her ideas, creating a unique ring that I felt was exactly what she wanted. What they created was amazing…something I had never seen.
But, the tougher part would be when to give it to her!
Christmas was right around the corner. I knew her. I knew she would expect it Christmas morning. We had opened all the presents and turned to the stockings where she smirked, thinking the ring was inside hers. But, it wasn’t. I left a brand new iPod Shuffle in there. I could see the disappointment in her eyes until she looked at my eyes and then my hands and saw the ring there.
Her joy was all I wanted for that Christmas morning. I couldn’t have done it without the fantastic folks at Goodman’s!
Tell us your Story Behind the Moment! Creating remarkable memories for generations of customers…the diamond store of Madison, the best is at Goodman’s!
The Story Behind the Moment
How many different ways are there to propose? Probably too many to even count! The moment itself is priceless and is supposed to be unforgettable. The moment becomes a story you tell your friends, your family, your kids, your grandkids and anyone else who will listen. There are, of course, those proposals that some would like to forget…you know the ones I am talking about – she still said yes, but it wasn’t what was planned. These could be, though, the best stories…filled with laughter and tears and, in the end, a strong bond of love.
There are plenty of engagement ideas out there you could choose from that would make “the story behind the moment” so unforgettable. If you want it to be public, what about hiring a skywriter? You could do it on a plane when travelling, asking the flight attendant to help you out by letting you use the plane’s speaker system. Here’s a great one: buy an ad at the movie theater and get there during the previews…making sure she notices, of course! How about the private story behind the moment? While she’s sleeping, gently put the ring on her finger, wake her with champagne and see if she notices the ring. Place photos of you and her as children growing up in different parts of the house and have her find them with the last photo being the two of you together as adults and the ring box in front of it. Or, replace her everyday jewelry one day with that special engagement ring that took you so long to pick out!
There are so many stories behind the moment that we want to hear them from you! Do you have a story to share and want to let us share it with the world? Write it out and send it to goodmansjewelersmadison@gmail.com. We will share those stories here in this blog and also on Facebook! If you want it to remain anonymous, that is perfectly OK! We will share it without names and will change locations to protect privacy…but, your story behind that very special moment will be something you can always share and make others smile…and maybe offer some ideas to other couples hoping to make a moment that matters!