Now That's Interesting!

Kent Wood, chief executive officer of Fremeau Jewelers Inc. in Burlington, keeps jewelry in the family and on Church Street as he continues the traditions established by three generations of Fremeaus.

"Diamonds and precious gems are millions of years old. They're not like cars or clothing, which go in and out of style. There isn't a 1999 diamond or a 2001 sapphire." Kent Wood

People have adorned themselves with precious gems throughout history because their beauty and enduring value engender an air of elegance, distinction and timeworn stability. The same could be said of Fremeau Jewelers Inc. in Burlington Vermont.

Started by Louis Fremeau I in the mid-19th century, the store has been a fixture on Church Street for 161 years. Three generations of Fremeaus have owned the establishment, which was originally located on upper Church Street, for over 100 years.

When Louis Fremeau III, a watchmaker, developed cataracts and could no longer do his job, he fell into depression. None of his four daughters was interested in continuing the family business, so his wife took over the store and ran it until 1959 when she and Louis sold it to Warren and Evelyn Wood. The new owners decided not to change the store's name because Fremeau Jewelers Inc. had a good reputation, and they didn't want it to appear as if Wood's Sporting Goods, another store on Church Street at the time, had taken over the long-standing jewelry business.

Forty-two years later, the generational continuity that marked Fremeau Jewelers Inc. is still alive. Kent Wood (son of Warren and Evelyn) sits at the helm of the downtown store today. The 45-year-old has been working in his family's business since grade school. "I would come in, especially at Christmas time," he remembers. "Dad would put me in a little blue blazer, and I'd go out and tell people, 'Everybody's tied up right now, but somebody will be with you in a minute.'" The simple task continued until a customer once asked more of the boy. "One day, there was a lady who said, 'No, you wait on me,' and so I did. Dad just said, 'OK, go for it.' "

Since that time, Wood has been immersed in the world of fine jewelry. The younger of two children (his sister, Margo, was his business partner until she retired three years ago), Fremeau's chief executive officer says he was not pressured to take over the business, but "Dad certainly made it apparent that that was what he'd like."

Wood attended the University of Vermont, where he graduated with a business degree in 1978. A period of dabbling in odd jobs ensued. He worked as a bartender and a waiter at Cafe Shelburne, spent a season as a ski bum in Colorado, and painted houses on Martha's Vineyard.

In 1980 he got serious and applied to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in Santa Monica, Calif., for a graduate degree in gemology. Wood says there are only six certified gemologists in Vermont; Wood, his sister, and his father are three of them. "Dad said it was necessary if I was going to make this my business," he says. Twenty-one years later, Wood seems to have no regrets. "I'm not digging in the dirt. I spend every day working with the most beautiful things in the world," he notes. "There's something magical about gems."

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Vermonters Have Been Trusting Fremeau Jewelers Since 1840 With The Purchasing And Care Of Their Family Heirlooms
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