True Tales: Pregnant Pause

Published

16 years ago

July 2, 2008

Strange stories from the front lines

?A man and a woman came into our store; she was limping in obvious pain and also very pregnant. She had on a wide sterling silver toe ring. Due to her pregnancy, her foot had swollen and she could not get the ring off. She had been in pain the previous evening, and in an effort to remove the ring, her husband had used an electric drill to bore holes in the ring. During this process, he drilled a hole through the ring and into her toe. The ring also became hot enough to burn her toe. Our normal handheld ring cutter would not work because the ring was too wide. The only way I could figure out how to remove the ring was with my flexshaft drill. But the drill was attached to the wall and would reach only to my bench. We decided that if she sat on the chair back with her husband holding her, she could get her foot high enough to use the drill. To keep the ring from heating during the cutting, I ran the drill slowly, stopping often and dipping her toes in a cup of ice water to cool the ring. After 30 minutes, we were successful in removing the ring and in not having to deliver a baby.?

RANDALL P.,
WAYNE, NE

This Third-Generation Jeweler Was Ready for Retirement. He Called Wilkerson

Retirement is never easy, especially when it means the end to a business that was founded in 1884. But for Laura and Sam Sipe, it was time to put their own needs first. They decided to close J.C. Sipe Jewelers, one of Indianapolis’ most trusted names in fine jewelry, and call Wilkerson. “Laura and I decided the conditions were right,” says Sam. Wilkerson handled every detail in their going-out-of-business sale, from marketing to manning the sales floor. “The main goal was to sell our existing inventory that’s all paid for and turn that into cash for our retirement,” says Sam. “It’s been very, very productive.” Would they recommend Wilkerson to other jewelers who want to enjoy their golden years? Absolutely! “Call Wilkerson,” says Laura. “They can help you achieve your goals so you’ll be able to move into retirement comfortably.”