Benchmark Rings
Tantalum signet ring with yellow gold center and Pisces zodiac design, $995
MELISSA QUICK:
This ring is whimsical! I like playful yet serious jewelry. It’s a subtle nod to a zodiac sign that I could see being worn by someone who wasn’t a Pisces too. That’s a testament to a great design!
TANYA DUKES:
Zodiac jewelry is at the height of fashion right now, but the texture and the warm gray and gold combination feels unique and stands out in a crowded field.
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Stuller
Black and 18K yellow gold PVD tungsten 8mm grooved band with hammer finish, $329
C3 Designs
Cast and hand-fabricated earrings in 14K yellow gold and sterling silver with green topaz, black jet and hand-cut inset of M3 black and gold cobalt mokume, $3,750
RETAILER’S CHOICE AWARD
ALOR
Blueberry stainless steel cable cuff with 18K rose gold and diamonds (13.40 TCW). $39,500
Four Decades of Excellence: How Wilkerson Transformed a Jeweler's Retirement into Celebration
After 45 years serving the Milwaukee community, Treiber & Straub Jewelers owner Michael Straub faced a significant life transition. At 75, the veteran jeweler made a personal decision many business owners understand: "I think it's time. I want to enjoy my wife with my grandchildren for the next 10, 15 years."
Wilkerson's expertise transformed this major business transition into an extraordinary success. Their comprehensive approach to managing the going-out-of-business sale created unprecedented customer response—with lines forming outside the store and limits on how many shoppers could enter at once due to fire safety regulations.
The results exceeded all expectations. "Wilkerson did a phenomenal job," Straub enthuses. "They were there for you through the whole thing, helped you with promoting it, helping you on day-to-day business. I can't speak enough for how well they did." The partnership didn't just facilitate a business closing; it created a celebratory finale to decades of service while allowing Straub to confidently step into his well-earned retirement.
