Leighton's Fine Diamonds is a full service jewelry store in downtown Merced, CA. We carry designer brands such a Gabriel, LeVian, A. Jaffe 1892, Parle, True Romance, Lafonn, Charles Garnier, Elle, Leddell Designs, Angelica, Frederic Goldman, Melinda Maria, Galatea, Majorica, Ostbye, and Seiko. We have a beautiful selection of jewelry to offer our customers. We work hard to be exceptional at custom jewelry design as well, with two GIA certified gemologists on staff to help you create just what you're looking for if you haven't been able to find it anywhere else. We will take care of all your jewelry needs including repairs, custom work, watch repair and batteries, bead stringing, and jewelry appraisals.
The story of Leighton's Fine Diamonds begins back in 1956 when Leighton Miller opened his first jewelry store named Leighton's Jewelers in Madera, California. Overtime he expanded and purchased two other stores in Los Banos and Merced, California as well. The three stores were owned and operated by Leighton and his three sons, Hugh, Chris, and Corey Miller through 1994. Tragically on August 9th, 1994, Leighton's oldest son Hugh was fatally wounded in a head on collision. Shortly following this loss the Los Banos store was sold. Leighton Miller continued to work in the Madera jewelry store until the age of 80 in 2005. By this time it was on weekends only. Leighton passed away in 2012 and was well respected as a person and business owner throughout his years. He along with his sons, worked to develop the name Leighton's Jewelers to be a business known for integrity, honesty, and reliability, by many people throughout the valley.
Chris and Corey who are twin brothers, continued to share the responsibilities of operating the two stores in Madera and Merced through 2001. At this time they made the decision to split the two stores with Chris and his wife Kim, taking ownership of the Madera store and Corey and his wife Lory taking ownership of the Merced store. They both continued to keep the name Leighton's Jewelers for each store even though for the first time they were being run completely separate. In 2014 the decision was made by Corey and Lory to change their store name and logo to Leighton's Fine Diamonds, helping to distinguish it as a separate store.
Corey has two GIA certified gemologists that are on staff. Cheryl Mayo, one of our gemologists, began her career in the jewelry business in 1980 and joined the Leighton's Jewelers staff when Pelican's Jewelry store of Merced was purchased by Leighton's Jewelers in 1989. Cheryl is very professional and extremely knowledgeable when it comes to jewelry and our customers love her dearly!...and we do too!
Justine Tarleton is also a gemologist on staff with us and we feel very fortunate to have her with us! Justine began working for us right out of hight school in 2003. She loved working with jewelry so much that she decided to obtain her GIA graduate gemologist certification. She has a wealth of knowledge about jewelry and has earned the respect of our loyal customers! We are very thankful to have her as part of our Leighton's family!
We hope that you will come by and visit us if you never have. Corey has kept the commitment his dad began long ago of striving to be a business of integrity, honesty, and reliability. Principles that Corey believes in personally. We give God the glory and thank Him for His goodness to us through the years!
