Harry Sable, 83, Phila.'s 'King of Wedding Bands'

From the start of his gold and diamond kingdom in the late 1950s on Jewelers Row, Harry Sable took seriously his self-proclaimed title, "King of Wedding Bands."

Wearing a bright red crown, Mr. Sable greeted customers with courtesy and, of course, a bit of humor.

Mr. Sable, 83, a 40-year resident of Cherry Hill, died Thursday of Alzheimer's disease at CareOne in Evesham.

Like his stock of more than 3,000 styles of wedding bands, Mr. Sable also had a heart of gold, according to those who knew him.

In the early days of his business at Eighth and Sansom Streets, Mr. Sable sold an engagement ring to a young man who came back the next day in desperation, saying he had been robbed shortly after leaving the store, recalled Mr. Sable's son Don:

"My father told him to pick out any ring. He said, 'Your lady needs a ring.' "

That kind of care for his customers kept Mr. Sable in business for more than 50 years, his son said.

Born and raised in the Logan section of Philadelphia to a Russian immigrant family, Mr. Sable acquired his work ethic at an early age. While growing up, he had all sorts of jobs, from wrapping candy to working for tips by alerting neighbors to phone calls at the corner shop, his son said.

Mr. Sable attended Olney High School, but left at age 14 to go to work full-time. "His mother took him down to Sansom and Eighth," said his son Michael. The rest was history.

He found a job in watch repair and became an apprentice. At age 20, Mr. Sable opened his first store, selling mostly watches. Mr. Sable hired his two brothers to work in the store, but in 1955, the three men each decided to have his own enterprise.

In 1958, Mr. Sable's title was born. "He realized he needed a way to distinguish himself on competitive Jewelers Row," Michael Sable said.

So he started stocking hundreds - and then thousands - of styles of wedding bands. "Mr. and Mrs. Rings," Mr. Sable liked to call them.

Harry Sable, King of Wedding Bands, became a popular destination for engaged couples.

"He believed in making relationships with customers, not just making a sale," Michael Sable said.

Theresa Ann Fallen of Philadelphia said she vividly remembers her fiancé's taking her to Mr. Sable's store in 1984 and telling her it was "the place" to buy wedding bands.

"When I went in there, I didn't want to leave," Fallen said. "He was so sociable, and he made us feel good."

Fallen returned yearly until the store closed to get her gold-and-diamond bands cleaned and polished. It was a day she looked forward to.

"When you walked out, you walked out with a smile," she said.

Mr. Sable retired in 2002 after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Don Sable continued to manage the store until January 2004, when it closed. The building is now leased to Diamante Jewelers.

Mr. Sable enjoyed going to the Latin Casino in Cherry Hill and other entertainment venues to see Frank Sinatra and other artists of his time.

He was a sports fan, his sons said, and he loved Tastykakes, especially the Peanut Butter Kandy Kakes.

In addition to his sons, Mr. Sable is survived by son Barry; two grandchildren; and a brother. His wife, Jean, died in 2005.

A funeral was Friday.