The History of Greenleaf & Crosby

Our Story Through the Years

1. 1868

   Founded in Jacksonville

   Greenleaf & Crosby began in Jacksonville, one of the South’s most important ports in the years after the Civil War, when Damon Greenleaf opened a jewelry store on Bay Street. His partner, J.H. Crosby Jr., gave the firm the second half of its name.

   Like the great eastern jewelers of an earlier era, the founders stocked what their clients loved: exceptional jewelry, Florida-inspired fine china and even tropical birds.

2. 1887

   Along Flagler’s Coast

   As tourism took off in Florida, Greenleaf & Crosby opened shops near the luxury hotels Henry Flagler was building along the coast, beginning with The Alcazar in St. Augustine in 1887.

   

3. 1895

   Arriving in Palm Beach

   In 1895, Greenleaf & Crosby came to Palm Beach with a store in The Royal Poinciana Hotel. Around the turn of the century, the company also opened in The Breakers in Palm Beach and in The Royal Palm Hotel in downtown Miami.

4. 1920s

   Introducing Europe’s Great Houses

   By the 1920s, Greenleaf & Crosby had become the foremost jeweler both to Florida residents and to the entrepreneurs who were making the state’s resort towns famous.

   The firm became known for introducing some of Europe’s most iconic jewelry houses to its American clients, most notably Van Cleef & Arpels and Patek Philippe.

   

5. 1933

   A Home on Worth Avenue

   In 1933, Greenleaf & Crosby opened its store at 236 Worth Avenue, which has been our flagship ever since. Its original Deco Moderne granite facade, trimmed with Monel, still welcomes clients today, just a few short blocks from the Atlantic Ocean at the center of one of the world’s most prestigious shopping streets.

6. 1950

   A Presentation of Patek Philippe

   Our partnerships with Europe’s finest watchmakers carried on for decades. In March 1950, Greenleaf & Crosby invited clients in Miami Beach and Palm Beach to “an important presentation of outstanding Patek Philippe watches,” noting that it was one of two hundred jewelers in the world authorized to sell them.

   

7. 2006

   Joining the Betteridge Family

   In 2006, the Betteridge family, jewelers on Greenwich Avenue in Greenwich, Connecticut, took on Greenleaf & Crosby, bringing together two of America’s historic jewelers on Worth Avenue.

8. 2021

   A New Chapter for the Company

   In 2021, Win and Natalie Betteridge, who had spent more than a decade on the management team at Betteridge in Greenwich, acquired Greenleaf & Crosby. They’re proud to carry on its legacy of customer service in Palm Beach and beyond.