Good as gold: MKS reaches 30-year mark

[September 06, 2011]  Melody Shew sat in her office with her scrapbook on her lap. "It's hard to believe it's been 30 years, but it has," she said.

Shew, the owner of MKS Jewelers Ltd. at 614 Broadway, will be celebrating 30 years in business in downtown Lincoln this weekend.

The official date of the anniversary is Sept. 8. But the store will have a special open house and sale with gifts for everyone who visits on Saturday. There will be door prizes, and customers can receive a 30 percent discount on one regularly priced item that day.

There will also be special prices on many items, and Melody and her staff hope to see all their great customers who have helped make the store a success for three decades.

Shew started her business career on the square by working for Jim and Dorothy Williams on the 100 block of North Kickapoo. When Jim died, Melody bought the business in September 1981.

Shortly after she took over the business, it was destroyed by fire in February 1982.

Melody felt it was important to rebuild quickly to make sure customers knew that the Williams Jewelry store would still be where they could go to buy high-quality jewelry. She opened up in a less-than-ideal location on the 100 block of South Kickapoo. Later, when she heard that the location on Broadway would be available, she jumped at the chance to move.

It was at this time that the store was renamed MKS.

Shew recalled some of the most significant changes in the jewelry business over the past 30 years. The store has branched out to include unique gift items and other precious metals in jewelry besides gold, such as sterling silver.

The current gold situation has created some real bargains for shoppers visiting MKS. "We still have gold jewelry back from when gold was $400 to $500 an ounce," Melody explained.

When asked why she hadn't raised the prices of her already-purchased gold jewelry to reflect the market, she answered, "No, some jewelers have. But we are keeping our prices based on what we paid. That makes for really good buys for our customers."

Shew said one thing that she truly enjoys in her profession is helping people start out on the rest of their lives. She enjoys helping nervous young men pick out the perfect engagement ring, and she laughed when she said she also freely gives advice on how to make that proposal a moment to remember for the rest of their lives. "If I can do anything that will help make someone happy, that's what this job is all about," she said.

Melody attributes the longevity of the store to several factors. One is the great help the business has had over the years. "We are like family. And I am fortunate to have my daughter, Angela, carry on the business when I'm on buying trips or vacations."

The principle factor Melody attributes the store's success to is all her customers. "We want to say thank you to all our customers these past 30 years. They have made it a wonderful 30 years, and we appreciate each and every one of them."

Area residents, as well as customers, are invited to stop by this Saturday to visit Melody and staff and congratulate them all for this business "jewel" in the heart of Lincoln.

[By MIKE FAK]