INSIDE

Storied days

Over the years, of course, the brothers have seen their share of moments both touching and bold.

They tell a story of a man and woman shopping separately for their anniversary gifts for each other. Each was drawn to the colorful collection of Staffordshire enamel boxes.

“One said ‘I love you,’” Rob says. “We happened to have two in the store.”

So after the man picked one of those for his wife, the wife later came in and… 

“She picked out the same box for him… I let it happen, because it was funny the way it played out.”

Such discretion, not surprisingly, is part of the picture. The Woodrows have realized that even small talk can be tricky.

Say a husband comes in to buy the wife a present and mentions an upcoming trip. If the Woodrows ask about the trip on the wife’s next visit, she might deduce her husband was in – spoiling a potential surprise.

“We learned at a very early stage in our development to keep our mouths shut,” Rob says with a laugh.

And in rarer cases that discretion can lead to a bit of bemusement, Rob adds.

“Michael sold five key chains to this man who wrote on it, ‘You’re the one.’ And he gave all five key chains out – to five different women.”

The stories tinged with romance, though, remain most vivid.

Michael tells a tale of traveling hours one Christmas day just to be sure an engagement ring – one he rescued after it was misdirected by the shipping agent – made it in time for the proposal.

“We do what we have to do,” he says with a shrug, as if this were not unusual in today’s frantic retail world.

The company, as it moves ahead, is charged with keeping pace with changing times.

The Woodrows are exploring Internet sales, but Michael says people don’t want to lose

“the romance of shopping in a store.”

When it comes to Valentine’s Day shopping, the brothers offer a bit of advice.

“Sometimes, people are so geared on money, something being a certain price level,” Michael says. “It’s not about that.”

Instead, Rob adds, it’s about the sentiment. “If it hits right, then it’s just the right thing.”

R&M Woodrow Jewelers is at 21 Purchase St. in Rye. Call (914) 967-0464 or visit woodrowjewelers.com.