Today we’d like to introduce you to Rose and Lornie Mueller.
Lornie and Rose were born in the mountains of western Montana. Growing up with stories of gold, sapphires, and fossils, the natural progression was to jewelry and gems. With a geological background and a pioneer spirit, prospecting for the Montana sapphire began a hobby that would eventually evolve into the opening of their store, Lithos Jewelry.
They learned to facet sapphires and import from the Orient. They bought rubies in the markets of Kanchanaburi, Thailand, dug for tsavorite garnet in Kenya, negotiated for jade in Hong Kong and dove for pearls in the beds of Manihi, French Polynesia. Lornie set up the program to teach goldsmiths for the state of Montana. Lornie and Rose became Graduate Gemologists with the GIA.
In 1991, they moved to St Petersburg, Fl. Diamonds, not colored stones, were the gem of choice. To stand out it was necessary to offer “the unique” to potential clients. Along with their Lithos Jewelry designs, they introduced Couture Designer Jewelry to Tampa Bay. Their personal friends included Steven Kretchmer, Sakamoto, Erdel and Simon G. They became Certified Appraisers of Personal Property with the International Society of Appraisers and Certified Gemologist with the American Gem Society.
Lornie began yet another journey with the laser welder, becoming one of the first in the country to use one. Mentors included Steven Kretchmer and Sakamoto. It gave them a distinct advantage over the other jewelers and the ability to do work on jewelry that couldn’t be done with a torch. This was an exciting period which also included speaking at the largest jewelry show in the US, the JCK show in Las Vegas.
They also were on educational panels at the show. Rose was the president of the western Florida chapter of the ISA. She was on the advisory board for the prestigious Centurion Jewelry show, where she was also an education speaker. In 2014, they relocated to Houston to be family and reconnect to the west that they love. The trend in the industry is to have less rather than more. The jewelry store is now more of a gallery, featuring their original designs, their underwater photographs, and Lornie’s rock statues.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The path of a small business person is never easy. Any relocation requires starting over. Once again one must establish trust with the people. Lornie and Rose were fortunate in Montana and St Petersburg to be featured in the local newspapers. It added to credibility. They also found that on a whole most people believe that all jewelers are equal, much like buying a delicious apple at Krogers and one at HEB. Too few jewelers have bothered to get credentials.
The FTC is too busy to regulate jewelers. The technological revolution has had its impact as well. It is hard to do all of the things necessary to maintain a business along with a learning curve that is very time consuming, yet all important.
Lithos Jewelry – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Lornie and Rose have always been known for their personal designs and the re-designing of existing jewelry for clients. They are the largest manufacturer of various clasps in the US. It is a German key lock system designed specifically for pearls but can be done for beads, gold chains, and steel.
The clasps add creativity to a collection of jewelry. They are interchangeable. They can be used to connect as many strands of pearls as one cares to wear. Because of their credentials, they do many appraisals. They sell designer jewelry made by US designers.
Too many of the designers have their pieces made overseas. The quality is not the same. They compete with the internet diamond sites. The only difference is that in the store they can explain the qualities of the diamonds before the purchase. Lornie can literally repair almost anything.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success is doing something one loves with a passion. It is a drive to be the best. It is doing business with total honesty. It is imparting the knowledge of gemstones and the creative process required to produce a wearable work of art. It is dissolving the smokescreen for the client to realistically understand what they own or are about to purchase.
Contact Info:
- Address: 3600 Kirby Drive
Suite C Houston, TX 77098 - Website: lithosjewelry.com
- Phone: 713-529-2811
- Email: info@lithosjewelry.com
- Instagram: lithosjewelry1
- Facebook: Lithos Jewelry@LithosHouston
- Yelp: https://biz.yelp.com
- Other: https://plus.google.com/+lithosjewelry
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
