The city wasn't big enough for both of them. First came the International Jewelers Exchange, an indoor market housing dozens of jewelry sellers that came to Aventura in January 1981. It was a family-run business that relied on repeat customers.

But with success came competition. In 2006, Turnberry Associates set up its Jewelers Market half a block away, targeting a more upscale clientele with a sleeker showroom and valet parking. It didn't work out. ''They thought it was an easy situation, like any other retail establishment,'' said Larry Berfond, owner of International Jewelers Exchange. ``We were already so established that it made it very tough to crack that market.''

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