Bayardo Jirón’s grandmother Catalina Acevedo Rueda (1908-1987) and her husband opened a jewelry store in Tegucigalpa, Honduras in 1930 called Joyeria Lopez. Later, Catalina returned to her beloved city of Managua in Nicaragua where she employed and trained many fine Nicaraguan craftsmen. By 1953, Joyeria Lopez was one of the most revered jewelry stores in the city.

During the night of December 23, 1972, two earthquakes ravaged the capital city of Managua. The damage was devastating: 12,000 lives were lost, many survivors were left homeless, and Joyeria Lopez was destroyed. However, the Jirón-Hannon family persevered against all obstacles. 

In October 1974, Bayardo’s mother Emperatriz Hannon Jirón (1930-2003) re-opened the family business in the garage of their home in Barrio Bolonia, a residential neighborhood in Managua. Despite the economic, social, and political instability of Nicaragua during this period, the store continued to grow steadily. 

From 1978-1979, Nicaragua was afflicted by a civil war. Familial ties were destroyed by political affiliations. By the middle of 1979, the  Sandinismo forces controlled the government, changed the socio-economic landscape of Nicaragua, and forced many people into exile. The new regime confiscated all of the Jirón-Hannon family’s assets including Joyeria Lopez, a lifetime of dreams, and generations of the family’s hard work. Bayardo was the target of three assasination attempts during this period. Desperate to survive, the Jirón-Hannon family was forced to leave their home in Nicaragua and venture to Baton Rouge, Louisiana with only their faith in God, experience, determination and education with them. 

For the fourth time, the Jirón-Hannon family business had to rebuild. Bayardo’s daughter, Patricia, was less than a month old when the family conducted a blessing ceremony for the store on the bright day of Friday, July 31, 1981 at their original location on Essen Lane. Like the weather, their future was beginning to look brighter. Hannon Jewelers officially opened in Baton Rouge on August 3, 1981. 

In November 2001, Hannon Jewelers moved once again, but this time it was by choice rather than an act of survival. Hannon Jewelers, blessed by God for their 20th anniversary of business in Louisiana, relocated to their current location at 8430 Bluebonnet Boulevard. Presently, Hannon Jewelers’ expertise lies in handcrafting fine jewelry with modern 21st century technology, and they continually remain passionate about earning and maintaining the trust of their customers.