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Local Sapphires, Three Susans, and Custom Design Drive Mikesell’s Success November 25, 2014 (0 comments)

Hamilton, MT—Most precious stones are mined in another hemisphere, far from the stores that sell them. Very few jewelers can say they work with precious stones mined right near their store, but Cindy Mikesell of Mikesell’s Fine Jewelry in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley, can. Montana sapphires, mined only a few miles away, feature prominently in the store's business.

"We see a lot of tourists," says Mikesell. "In the summer, they will go and buy a few buckets of gravel and mine for sapphires themselves. Of course, not everything is a good enough quality to facet. For those that are, after they are faceted, we set or design something for them. We do our own casting and stone setting."

And has Mikesell ever seen any amazing sapphires? "Oh yes," she said. "There are some amazing different colors. Reds and greens are quite rare and the root beer color is beautiful. Heat treatment of the stones enhances their natural color." Heating is done first, then the cutting, where stones generally lose half their weight. And what does one do with the leftover rocks? "The rest usually go in our fish tank," says Mikesell, with a smile. "We do quite a bit of bridal," says Mikesell. "Our client base here in town is a bit older. We have larger businesses nearby, Rocky Mountain Labs and GlaxoSmithKline’s local facility. We sell a lot of semi-mounts, which work well for Montana sapphires and Grandma's diamond, too."

Along with Montana sapphire and bridal, Mikesell concentrates on fashion. She especially enjoys the challenge of recreating a client’s family heirlooms into pieces that reflect their style. With one foot in old world techniques such as wax carving and the other in the modern day technology of laser welding, she designs unique custom pieces for her clientele. Some of the store's favorite brands are Charles Garnier, Allison Kaufman, Frederic Duclos, Breuning, Nanis, and Sethi Couture.

Mikesell reaches her clients through various traditional media including: newspapers (in both her market area and nearby Missoula), additional print ads, television, and radio. Mikesell's also reaches its customers through Facebook and the company's website.

Mikesell’s has a staff of six, including full and part time employees. Three staff members are named Susan. One might think that a small store where half of staff has the same name would be a problem. Happily, Mikesell's has worked around that by numbering them in the order of when each was hired. The three go by Susan 1, Susan 2 and Susan 3. 

Kim, Susan #2, Cindy (owner), Susan #1 (manger), Susan #3, Brooke. Not pictured: Diane.

Mikesell’s is an American Gem Society member store, and has been in business in Hamilton for 32 years. It is 1,200 square feet with 800 square feet devoted to the sales floor. Mikesel herself is originally from the Seattle area; it's her husband that had the Montana connection. Her background is art and clinical psychology and she also worked in the automotive industry in a repair shop. "I've always done mechanical things," said Mikesell. "I think working on jewelry is like working on cars, except on a smaller scale."

Mikesell began doing wax casting for a friend and her jewelry journey started there, beginning in Seattle and continuing in Montana. "I started on a shoestring and expanded from there. I met a man, moved to Montana and am still married to that man." Mikesell stays busy with 30 to 40 repair jobs a week. A self-described workaholic, she often sneaks in on the weekend for uninterrupted, quiet bench time.

Mikesell's is a community minded store.”We love having the personal connection and one-on-one relationship with our clientele and the community at large.” From the company's website, they offer their credentials and professionalism to the community:

 “At Mikesell's you will talk to jewelry professionals. The Bitterroot Valley is their home, and you will find you can trust them. Like good neighbors they listen carefully to your desires and handle your family heirlooms with the respect they deserve. Mikesell's considers it a privilege and honor to restore and preserve your family history."