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Steamboat Springs, CO—Most retiring jewelers will intentionally pick their store’s closing date on the calendar, typically choosing the end of a month, quarter, or year. But for Colorado jeweler Larry Stroman, it’s going to be the weather that dictates his store’s last day. 

When the 2021 ski season draws to a close this spring, that’s when Stroman will be closing up shop as well. Stroman, the owner of The Silver Lining jewelry store (image), is known for his handcrafted work and unique selection of jewelry, charms, and exotic beads. His store is about 150 miles northwest of Denver, deep in the heart of Colorado’s ski country. His customers ranging from locals to tourists to those with second homes in the popular resort area.

In an interview with the Steamboat Pilot & Today, Stroman detailed how much the business has weathered—no pun intended—since its opening in 1999. That has included multiple construction projects in the area, even one destruction (of the local town square), plus winters with no snow (and subsequently, no tourist skiers), several recessions, and the pandemic. Customer loyalty is what kept the business afloat and, like most retiring jewelry store owners, Stroman told the paper the customers are what he will miss the most. He isn’t retiring altogether, however: he plans to continue making jewelry in a wholesale capacity, says the article.

Stroman has a buyer for the business, whom he believes will continue it as a jewelry store. From the paper: “I sold the property, and the new owner is just going to kind of continue on with the jewelry aspect and probably put their own energy into it, their own ideas and maybe even bring in new things,” Stroman said. “I haven’t had a summer off in 31 years, so I’m going to take a few months off this summer, and then I’ll get my studio at home rolling and just kind of go from there.”