AGATE MAY NOT be precious but it has a long and colorful history as a desired rock and our references to its storied provenance were enough to tip off Christine Graichen, the office manager at Malloves Jewelers in Middletown, CT. Well done, Christine. She was the winner of our May Gem Quiz and takes away a cool Gem Geek t-shirt. And congratulations too to our honorable mentions, who also got the right answer. Keep an eye out for our June Gem Quiz. We’ll be posting it soon.
Honorable Mentions
Carol Arrigoni
Burts Jewelers
North Miami Beach, FL
Dan Bogue
LaunchPad
New Rochelle, NY
Sherri Cribbs
Riddles.Jewelry
Rapid City, SD
Autumn Knight
Arizona Watch & Jewelry Service
Tucson, AZ
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Mandy Mott
Becker’s Jewelers
Old Saybrook, CT
Mark Thomas Ruby
SunSpirit Designs
Loveland, CO
Dan Scanlan
Jewelry By Designs
Woodbridge, VA
Kate Shay
Scott & Co Fine Jewelers
New Oxford, PA
Family Legacy, New Chapter: How Wilkerson Turns 89 Years of History Into Future Success
After 89 years of serving the Albany community, Harold Finkle Your Jeweler faced a pivotal decision. For third-generation owner Justin Finkle, the demanding hours of running a small business were taking precious time away from his young family. "After 23 years, I decided this was the time for me," Finkle explains. But closing a business with nearly nine decades of inventory and customer relationships isn't something easily managed alone.
Wilkerson's comprehensive approach transformed this challenging transition into a remarkable success story. Their strategic planning handled everything from advertising and social media to inventory management and staffing — elements that would overwhelm most jewelers attempting to navigate a closing sale independently.
The results speak volumes. "Wilkerson gave us three different tiers of potential goals," Finkle notes. "We've reached that third tier, that highest goal already, and we still have two weeks left of the sale." The partnership didn't just meet financial objectives—it exceeded them ahead of schedule.
