Samuels Jewelers

Some people say that only diamonds last forever, but much like Twinkies in a vacuum-sealed bag, Samuels Jewelers is giving the sparklers some stiff competition. Soon after it was established on Market Street in San Francisco in 1891, the store earned itself the nickname "the house of lucky wedding rings"—legend said that if a couple married with one of Albert Samuels' rings, they would be married for all time.

But it wasn't just this legend that set Albert apart, it was his old-fashioned decency and stellar customer service. According to one story, when Albert discovered that one of his clients had been accidentally charged for a repair job, he did whatever he could to rectify the mistake. Because he didn't know her name, he resorted to taking out an ad in the San Francisco Chronicle to apologize and ask her to come back to pick up her dollar. Today, Samuels Jewelers may have various stores across the country, but it aims to stay true to those same values.