In 1954 founder William Dowling began to sell jewelry in the Virgin Islands purchased in Paris but soon started to purchase merchandise direct from several Italian factories. In 1974, Bill opened a factory in Hong Kong to manufacture jewelry for his growing market. Eliminating the middleman allows Cardow to sell its merchandise at relatively low prices.

Much of the jewelry sold by Cardow was designed under the direction of William Dowling. Bill immersed himself in the design and manufacturing of the merchandise at his Hong Kong facility. During the design process with his Aunt Mary Fitzgerald, who was considered a par excellence connoisseur of the jewelry taste of the middle and upper classes of American women, Bill would study fashion trends and consult with the sales associates as to what they thought would be good sellers.

Today Cardow Jewelers continues its tradition of high-quality beautiful pieces at the best prices available in the Caribbean, duty free.