Tim Ritter retiring after 50 years in the jewlery business

And now, the time has come for Tim to pass the business on to them.

“The lads have decided they would like to continue on in the jewelry business and I’m tickled pink about it,” Tim said. “They are tradesmen and good craftsmen … (they) can communicate well on any level, with any age group.”

By Erica Kingston

Tim Ritter’s first love in life was music. Many hours were spent sitting in front of the record player listening to the 45s his mom had bought him. He learned to play piano, and in the early ‘6os, when his dad gave him a guitar, he started a band that called themselves “The Strangers.”

“We were one of the very first rock bands in the area,” Tim said. “And we rocked, I’m telling ya.”

In college, he played in a jazz band that ended up playing in midwest cities with Liza Minelli. But the realities of life and a career caught up with Tim in the early ‘70s. Being swayed by his dad, who was a dentist, Ritter had started college off on that path. But needing the creative outlet that music had provided, he decided to follow his own path by taking an apprenticeship in the trade of diamond cutting.

For 50 years, that choice allowed him a beloved career, provided Williston with a trusted jeweler and made a legacy he could eventually hand down to his two sons through Ritter Brothers Diamond Cutters.

“In ‘73 (my brother Steven and I) got accepted to an apprenticeship with an old Dutch-Jew diamond cutter in Nevada,” Tim said. “In those days, and I think in these days, if you don’t have a Jewish uncle, you aren’t going to be a diamond cutter. It’s a completely secret trade and it’s passed on by apprenticeship only.”

While in Nevada, Tim learned silver- smithing and how to make jewelry. The days were spent in diamond cutting school, while also taking advantage of the geography to further hone their skills.

“We’d go up in the hills and dig for turquoise and amethyst and whatever rocks we could find up there and we’d cut those, too, and make jewelry out of them,” Tim said.

After diamond cutting school, Tim took classes at the Gemological Institute of America in Los Angeles. By 1976, the Ritter brothers moved back to Williston and opened a small diamond cutting shop in the upstairs of what is now the Cooks on Main building, as their dad had his dental offices in the front. There, referrals would be sent in from all over the country for their expertise in diamond cutting. After about a year, the brothers opened a small retail shop where the custom jewelry came to the forefront.

“In those days, the dentists made a lot of their own gold crowns and bridges in their labs,” Tim said. “So, a jewelry lab and a dental lab were almost identical because everything is done with a lost wax casting process.”

Steven eventually left the business when the oil boom came. Tim purchased the current Ritter Brothers location in 1978, a prime main street location. For years, countless watches, clocks and pieces of jewelry were repaired and Williston was provided with silver, fine china, flatware and giftware.

When the bust in oil happened in the early 1980’s, Steven came back to join his brother in the business and stayed until he passed away. About a decade ago, a younger generation of Ritter brothers came on scene; after going to jewelry school and learning the arts Ethan and Evan Ritter joined their dad.

Tim will officially retire in January of 2024 when Ethan and Evan start their own jewelry store in the same location. There may be a few changes to the aesthetic and name of the store, but it will largely remain the same business that Williston has come to know and trust over the years. Ultimately, this step has been a long time coming and both Ethan and Evan are excited and ready for steps forward.

With this change, will come all new inventory. To start fresh, Ritter Brothers Diamond Cutters is having a sale with the entire store up to 70% off. Items from throughout the 50 years of business will be brought out to the floor for this sale that will run Nov. 9 through Dec. 30.

“It’s going to be a goodin’,” Tim said. “All the treasures are coming out of the vault.”

In his retirement, Tim can be found still playing music and fishing at his cabin on Lake Sakakawea.

“I’ll tell you, I’ve loved this business,” Tim said. “The greatest part is the people. I’ve gone through generations — I’ve serviced the grandfathers, the fathers and the sons in many of these families. It’s been a tremendously rewarding experience.”