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Mercer Island, WA--Chris Francisco Jeweler was featured in the Mercer Island Reporter as he announced plans to close his store and retire. Mercer Island, in the southern portion of Lake Washington, sits in the middle of Seattle to its west and Bellevue to its east. Chris Francisco, who comes from a large family of jewelers, told the paper his store was the last fine jeweler on the island. Image: Nancy Gould-Hilliard for The Mercer Island Reporter

“I completed a 27-year career on Mercer Island as an independent merchant and am the last fine jeweler standing,” he told the paper. He also worked for another Seattle-area jeweler for 10 years before opening his own store. This is the second time the newspaper has featured his business; the first was in 2008, calling him a "modern old-world jeweler." The same reporter, Nancy Gould-Hilliard, wrote both articles.

Chris’s late father, Cristano, and seven of Chris’s uncles were jewelers, as is Chris and five of his own brothers, notes the paper. Both Chris and his late father, Cristano, a Philippine immigrant to Seattle, were renowned custom designers. 

“Chris and his dad are known for their artistry–-the senior was fabled to have created a ring for Elvis, and Chris’ most unique work was a diamond tooth grill for a rock ‘n roll star,” says the article, noting that repairs also made up a significant portion of the jeweler’s business.

The store will close for good on December 31; Chris’s wife Precy also retires from her job at a Seattle law office that day. The couple plan to move closer to their children.