Herbert's was founded by Herbert N. Block in October 1938 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He used his first name because there was a Block Bros. department store down the street. The registered name of the store was Herbert's Credit Jewelers. At the time most jewelers did not offer credit to anyone but the very rich. As Kenosha was a manufacturing town with a lot of blue collar workers it was a popular form of doing business. He would give a passbook and charge a dollar down and a dollar a week. Each Friday the workers would pay and it would be recorded in the passbook. The store at that time also sold everything from engagement rings to shavers and bowling balls.

As the years passed and the store grew the name became "Herbert's Your Jeweler." The store sold merchandise in 4 categories, watches, diamonds, colored gems and table top gifts such as china, silver and crystal.

In 1975 Ed Block left a career as a criminal defense attorney and took over for his father who was semi-retired. It was a career choice Ed has never regretted. He immediately enrolled in courses from the Gemological Institute of America needed to truly understand the gems sold. In 1978 Herbert's Ltd. was incorporated. In 1983 Herbert's moved to Pershing Plaza.