When a business has been successfully operating for over 18 years, you know it’s doing something right. In the case of Calhoun’s Jewelers in Topeka, the family who owns it is doing many things right.
Buyers often need guidance when choosing particular pieces of jewelry and rely on the expertise of those in the store to assist them. “Our team is very knowledgeable,” says Doug Calhoun, who started the business with his brother Curt in 2004. Their staff, which includes Curt’s sons CJ and Alex, is top notch.
“CJ is the only certified bench jeweler in Topeka, and our creative director, Annie Degenhardt, is taking courses with the Gemological Institute of America to become a graduate gemologist,” says Curt.
This high-level training also allows Calhoun’s to do repairs on jewelry, especially precious heirloom jewelry, so they can be worn again instead of just sitting in a drawer. These pieces, of course, have to be handled with extreme care.
“Many of us won't let just anybody into our home to repair the refrigerator or the heating and air conditioning, or have anyone fix our cars,” says Doug. “We work with people we trust. So when having something as valuable and sentimental as our jewelry repaired, it's important to know that it's going to be taken care of right.”
Adds Curt, “With family heirlooms, a lot of times the designs are very worn down and many jewelers can't fully restore it or bring it back to its initial look like CJ. He also does hand engraving, so he can actually carve the design back in place. And, for something like a platinum ring, you have to be careful because if you don't have the right equipment, you can contaminate it with other metals.” All jewelry is repaired in house, which gives customers peace of mind that these pieces they treasure will be kept safe."
“Jewelry often symbolizes a special day or event, a passage of time, or the remembrance of loved ones,” says sales associate, Beverly Hall. “Jewelry is passed down from generation to generation to signify how much a person meant to someone.”
Thanks to its talented designers, Calhoun’s also offers beautiful custom-made jewelry. They have integrated computer design software that can bring customers’ ideas to life. “We can create whatever they can imagine,” says Curt. “We can also 3D print the model so they can actually hold it before we cast it.” Some popular requests right now are colored stone jewelry as well as “paper clip” style chains. “For engagement and wedding rings, oval diamonds are very popular and white gold is still the leader of the pack, with yellow gold running in second place,” says Doug. Watches are also still in demand, especially with men. “They tend to get a collector mentality,” says Curt. “They start seeing different designs and the next thing they know, they have five, six or seven different watches. They often also pick up a certain brand that they like to collect.” Adds Doug, “We sell pre-owned Rolex watches, as well as Seiko automatics for people who are watch enthusiasts and like a watch that doesn't have a battery, but will instead run by the movement of their wrists. There's also the more basic models that have a battery which we
can replace right here in the store. All of them are very fashionable.”
Calhoun’s also buys jewelry. Select pieces are refurbished and resold to customers in its estate section, which is filled with a variety of unique and reasonably-priced jewelry from every era.
For the last five years, Calhoun’s Jewelers has been voted the Best of the Best by the people of Topeka and surrounding areas. It’s easy to understand why. “Being a family business and having a philosophy of always making our customers happy has definitely helped us to succeed,” says Curt. “When customers need things done and tell us what they want to have done, we almost never have to say ‘no.’ We do everything we can to meet their needs.”
To find out more about Calhoun’s and find a perfect piece of jewelry that you will cherish for many years to come, go to calhounsjewelers.com.
