Though the days of our grandmothers socializing at a weekly bridge game or dressing up to go to the market may seem like a bygone era, heirlooms are still a prized part of Southern culture. Perhaps, as in my case, your great-aunt passed down some of her wedding china; your mother shared a string of pearls; or your grandmother gifted an oversized cocktail ring to be worn “just because.” And if you grew up in Louisiana or Alabama, there may be a chance that some of these beloved possessions came from Adler’s.
Adler’s itself is a cornerstone of New Orleans—a jewelry store opened all the way back in 1898 by Slovakian immigrant Coleman E. Adler I. As reported by NOLA.com, the first Adler came to New Orleans by way of Alabama, and opened his fine jewelry and gift store on Royal Street.
The store moved in the early 1900s to the 800 block of Canal Street, in the French Quarter, and again down the street in 1909 into the flagship location where it currently stands, at 722 Canal. (A still-operating outpost was later opened in Metairie at 2937 Veterans Boulevard. There have been several additional locations through the years, but all have since closed.) Each generation of ownership further solidified the legacy of Adler’s in New Orleans as an anchor of craftsmanship and heritage—a true “Tiffany of the South.”…