A Legacy Sparked in 1889
The story of Tom Cook Jeweler begins over a century ago with Vaclav Jule Pekor, born in 1862 in Prague, Bohemia (now the Czech Republic). After immigrating to Columbus, Georgia, he founded Pekor Jewelry Company in 1889, laying the foundation for a jewelry legacy that would span generations.
Pekor was a firm believer in doing right by his customers, often saying, “It has been my policy to please the public. No matter what the complaint, my customers are always right.” That philosophy of integrity and service would become a core pillar of the business through every generation that followed.
In 1924, Pekor’s daughter, Vera Juliette, married James Thomas Cook, and the business was renamed The Pekor/Cook Jewelry Company. When V.J. Pekor passed away in 1931, Tom Cook Sr. purchased the company, and Tom Cook Jeweler was officially born. In 1947, the family relocated to Daytona Beach, bringing their heritage and high standards with them to Beach Street, where the store still resides today.
