Clark’s Jewelers celebrates 25 years

Family business has been thriving due to small-town customer service

Susan Schell

of the Gateway

Lora Morford grew up in the jewelry business.

Her father, Russ Clark, started Clark’s Jewelers in downtown Gig Harbor in 1983. The business moved to its current location in the 1990s and is now celebrating its 25th anniversary.

When Clark retired in 1999, he handed the store to his daughter, to whom he taught the business, inside and out.

“I learned so much from my dad,” Morford said. “From changing batteries in watches to buying the best quality diamonds.”

Morford does all the buying for the store and has vendors from Seattle to the East Coast. She designed her own wedding ring and said people comment on its beauty daily.

While doing a custom design, Morford said it’s important to know some background of how the piece will be used and who will be wearing it.

“We do a little fact-finding of how they live their lives,” she said. “We find out if they want something just for evening or daily wear.

“People are a bit hesitant sometimes to have a custom-designed piece, because they assume it will be cost prohibitive,” she added. “When it is a ring of a lifetime and it just has to be perfect, custom can be the way to go.”

Morford said the store has something for every budget. The small-town feel of the jewelry store offers customers something more than larger, chain-type stores.

“Living and working in Gig Harbor is a gift,” Morford said. “I create relationships at work, and you see people in town. It’s not like going to a mall store. People like to get to know their jeweler. It’s a trust factor.”

In addition to custom design, Clark’s Jewelers can repair or alter existing jewelry to return it to its original condition.

“You would be amazed at the restoration work our goldsmiths can accomplish,” said Robin Villiers-Furze, the store’s manager. “We have seen jewelry brought in and think it is just ruined. But when repairs are completed, sometimes even we can’t believe it is the same piece.

“We have had more than one customer cry because of the beautiful restoration of their beloved jewelry,” Villiers-Furze said. “It truly makes our day to be able to have that kind of impact on our customers.”

Clark’s Jewelers was voted “Best Jewelry Store of Gig Harbor” two years in a row by readers of The Peninsula Gateway. The 25th anniversary sale has generated a lot of business for the store.

“It’s been like Christmas in September,” Morford said. “It comes back to the unique items we carry and the excellent customer service offered by the staff here.

“It keeps our business going and repeat customers coming in.”

Anniversary sale

Clark’s Jewelers is having a 25th anniversary sale. The business is located at 6946 Kimball Drive NW in Gig Harbor.

For more information, call 253-851-5395.

Reach reporter Susan Schell at 253-853-9240 or by e-mail at susan.schell@gateline.com.