October 6, 2025 By Carol Britton Meyer
The Whitney Gordon’s Jewelers owners Lorrie and Michael Campbell have a lot to celebrate.
October marks the 75th anniversary of the business, located in Hingham Square, and the couple’s 40th year of ownership.
The shop has a friendly atmosphere and a reputation for personal service that has attracted generations of families over the years as the “go to” place to purchase affordable quality jewelry and giftware for special occasions – including weddings, birthdays, graduations, births, and anniversaries.
“Jewelry is a feel-good item, whether treating yourself or someone you care about,” Lorrie told the Hingham Anchor.
Many loyal customers attended the festive Oct. 4 in-store celebration featuring a raffle that included lab-grown diamond earrings, store discounts, and light bites.
Along with decades of knowledge, Whitney Gordon’s features a fine selection of diamond and precious stone jewelry, as well as sterling, gold, and watches.
The shop also offers many different services, from watch repairs and engraving to designing engagement rings and repurposing customers’ treasured pieces into necklaces and rings.
‘Jewelry is incredibly personal’
“We feel so fortunate that the business is in its 75th year and our 40th year of ownership, which wouldn’t be possible without the support of this wonderful community. We’re so grateful!” Lorrie said. “Jewelry is incredibly personal, so we encourage our customers to come in and see, hold, and try on pieces in-person. We treat all of our customers, from children to adults, with the same respect. After all, these young people are our future customers!”
One of the Campbells’ favorite memories occurred during a Christmas in the Square celebration, when four young boys entered the shop, hoping to buy holiday gifts for their mothers.
“They found something in their price range, more or less, and the older boys pooled their money for the littlest boy, who was short on cash,” Lorrie and Michael recall. “His father came into the shop later to thank us for treating the boys so nicely, and so did one of the mothers.”
The Whitney Gordon’s Jewelers opened in 1950 under Bernie and Bee Gordon’s ownership. Lorrie began working in the shop at the age of 15.
She and Michael – both lifelong Hingham natives and high school sweethearts – took over the shop in 1985, a year after their wedding, when the Gordons retired.
“Some of the Gordons’ customers still come into the shop,” Lorrie said.
Another interesting fact is that Lorrie’s father, Dick Lincoln, purchased her mother’s engagement ring at Whitney Gordon’s, Michael got hers there, and their three children all got engagement rings at the shop as well, which she calls “very special.”
‘Whitney Gordon’s is our first-stop shop’
Liz Chapin, a regular customer who grew up in Hingham and returned recently, said her family has purchased gifts at Whitney Gordon’s since the late 1960s. “It’s our first-stop shop,” she said.
One of Chapin’s favorite memories is walking with her friends when they were in high school past the full-length mirror near the front door and catching a glimpse of themselves on their way to Brigham’s.
Before leaving the shop recently, where she was buying her occasional pair of silver peace symbol studs (“I sometimes lose them,” she quipped), Chapin took a Tootsie Roll from their usual bowl to bring to her mother, Connie, “which she greatly enjoys!”
The downtown location is perfect, not only for customer convenience but also because it’s easy for fellow downtown merchants to stop by just to say hello.
‘We love our neighbors’
When Hingham Historical Society Executive Director Deirdre Anderson catches a glimpse of Michael sweeping the front entranceway to the shop every morning, she is happy to see him and waves, Lorrie shared. “Deirdre once told us she feels like she’s in a colonial village when she sees Michael sweeping!”
The Campbells, like many downtown shop owners, are quick to support other businesses in downtown Hingham by pointing the way to another unique shop, the Loring Hall Theatre, or to a restaurant once customers unfamiliar with the area wrap up their business.
The Campbells attribute the continuing success of their shop even during challenging times to the fact that jewelry purchased there is tangible. “Customers can see the quality of what we sell, which you don’t necessarily get online,” Lorrie said. “We care about our customers and making them happy.”
Trust is a big factor when running a jewelry business, the Campbells noted. “When people drop off a family heirloom, an expensive piece of jewelry, or another of their prized possessions to be repaired, they want to know that it will be well cared for,” Lorrie said. “Word of mouth makes or breaks a business.”
‘Gold and pearls are popular again’
People’s taste changes over the years, Michael noted. “Gold and pearls are popular again.”
Michael enjoys selling jewelry because he “gets to be a part of our customers’ special occasions or maybe just an ‘I’m thinking of you’ kind of gift. Most of the time we are helping celebrate a happy moment!”
Hingham’s downtown “makes shopping a family affair, and no merchants better represent that feeling than Lorrie and Michael,” longtime customer Christine Puzo told the Hingham Anchor. “For over 40 years, the Campbells have ensured that we find the perfect gift for every occasion – whether it be a monogrammed baby cup, the perfect charm for a daughter’s bracelet, a beautiful birthstone pendant. or a replacement wedding band. Whitney Gordon’s is our go-to first stop when shopping for a special occasion or a special person.”
Shopping is a personal event
Recently, the Campbells helped Puzo’s family redesign unique pieces for her grandchildren, using the jewelry left to them by their grandmother. “The results reflected more current designs while maintaining a significant family tradition,” Puzo said. “This was just another way they make shopping in their store a personal event.”
Puzo shared a second-hand memorable story that speaks directly to the Campbells’ dedication to their customers:
“As most downtown shoppers know, the Campbells close the store every summer for a week around the 4th of July for a well-deserved vacation. One year a bride realized that she had neglected to pick up a pearl necklace she intended to wear on her wedding day and she was understandably distraught when she realized that the store was closed until after her wedding,” Puzo recalled.
Fortunately, the Campbells were able to be reached, and they interrupted their vacation, returned to downtown Hingham, and met the bride at the shop, necklace in hand.
Looking back, Puzo recalls stopping by the shop regularly when her grandchildren were younger “just to say hello and so the children could help themselves to a Tootsie Roll or other sweet treat that is always there for the taking!”
Wish list offered
To help friends and family members make informed gift choices, Whitney Gordon’s maintains a “wish list.” When a woman finds earrings or a gold or silver bracelet she adores, or a gentleman comes across a watch or other piece he admires, the wish list comes in handy.
What’s Hingham’s attraction for the Campbells? “We’ve lived her all our lives and our families still live here, too,” Lorrie said. “It’s a very friendly town, and once people find their niche, they remain loyal to you.”
On the occasion of the shop’s 75th anniversary, and the couple’s 40th as shop owners, the Campbells invite their customers to share their memories and experiences at the shop and also photos of their favorite pieces at whitneygordonsjewelers@gmail.com.
For more information about Whitney Gordon’s Jewelers, go to https://whitneygordons.com/.