HDS History Bio
HDS History Bio

The History of Hurst Jewelry & Eyewear

Victor Hurst opened the Hurst Loan Office in 1908 at 612 Main Street in Kansas City, Missouri – In what is now the historic City Market area. By the 1920’s business was going well for Victor and he decided to move his store to 18th and Vine which was, and still is, in the heart of Kansas City’s Jazz District.

By this time, Victor’s son Benjamin Hurst joined the family business and they opened a second store located at 12th and Highland in Kansas City, Missouri. Both stores sold everything including Engagement rings, Wedding Bands, Watches, Televisions, Luggage, Guns, Tableware, China and even had an OPTICAL Department which sold prescription eyeglasses, with an OPTOMETRIST on premises for Eye Exams. Ben Hurst’s superior business ethics of providing EXCEPTIONAL customer service and honesty to every customer earned him the nickname “Honest Ben” given to him by his customers.
As business continued to grow for “Honest Ben”, he always saw a need to help others. From 1929 to 1930 he made several trips to New York and purchased more than 2000 winter coats for the underprivileged families of Kansas City.

By 1938, Morton Hurst, Bens youngest son who was 12, started working for his father as an errand boy. In 1939, Ben combined the 18th and Vine and 12th and highland stores into to one bigger store located at 13th and Walnut in Downtown Kansas City. Ben then added clothing, fur coats, and musical instruments. Unfortunately, that store had a catastrophe and the evening of Christmas Eve 1955 had an electrical fire and burned down. From that location Ben moved his store to 15 E 12th Street in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri.

In 1967 Ben changed the name to Hurst Diamond Shop “Home of the Blue White Diamonds”. Also that year Hurst Diamond Shop joined the prestigious buying group called Leading Jewelers Guild and was a member of that group till 2020.

In 1968, Morton Hurst became President and Ben Hurst retired. Like his father, Morton continued to service customers with the same honesty, loyalty and trust. As Morton grew the business, he instilled the help of his oldest son, Michael Hurst.

HDS History Bio
HDS History Bio

Following in his Grandfather’s and Father’s footsteps, Michael joined the business at 13 years of age working as again an errand boy taking a bus to the store after school. Richard Hurst, Morton’s youngest son and his daughter Deanna and his wife Shirley all worked in the family business. In 1980 Michael became Vice President alongside his father.

In 1982 Morton and Michael Began to expand into Mall locations the first one was in Kansas City, Kansas in the Indian Springs Mall, then Columbia, Missouri, after that became Jefferson City, Missouri and Joplin, Missouri.

Fast forward to January of 1987, when Michael’s son, Marcus, was born. Morton (grandfather now) had an interview with a Kansas City Star reporter and put a diamond loop in Marcus’s hand, Marcus was 10 months old then. Morton told the reporter “You’re never too young to start” and there became the 5th generation of jewelers. Making Hurst Diamond Shop the oldest family Jewelry store in the Kansas City area.

In the year 2000 Hurst Diamond Shop opened a location in Lawrence, Kansas which stayed open until January 2020. Currently Michael Hurst is continuing the family tradition by opening a small store in Belton, Missouri named Hurst Jewelry and Eyewear. And has brought back the optical side of the jewelry business.  EST in 1908, serving Missouri for 114 years, I am truly blessed and grateful to be carrying on the same values as my Great grandfather started in 1908.  Come visit and experience the Hurst way of doing business. When you think of Jewelry and Prescription Eyeglasses see Hurst’s first. We are a jewelry store and optical shop serving Belton, Mo, Raymore, Mo, Peculiar, Mo, Grandview, Mo, Pleasant Hill, Mo, South Kansas City, Mo.

HDS History Bio
HDS History Bio

Hurst Jewelry and Eyewear  Since 1908

When you think of Jewelry and Eyewear think of Hurst's.

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