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Rasmussen Diamonds, Renowned AGS Jeweler, Featured In Hometown Paper May 02, 2021 (0 comments)
Mt. Pleasant, WI—Over the years, the jewelry trade press has often turned to Bill and Kathy Sustachek, owners of Rasmussen Diamonds, for advice to share in articles.
Rasmussen Diamonds is a 120-year-old AGS jeweler, founded in 1900 by Frank Rasmussen. Master watchmaker Calvin Sustachek and his wife, Marilyn, bought the store from Frank Rasmussen in 1977, and today it’s run by Bill and Kathy, the second-generation husband-and-wife team, and their children. Bill is a GIA graduate gemologist and AGS certified gemologist appraiser. Kathy, meanwhile, is known as much in the industry for her flaming red curls as her business advice. She began in the background of the business, doing part-time bookkeeping and secretarial work while raising the couple’s five children, but in time she discovered how much she loved working with customers, and moved to the front of the store and became an AGS registered jeweler.
Both Bill and Kathy have been very active in AGS over the years, Bill having served as chair of Conclave, the Education Committee, the JEF board of governors, and more. Kathy also has served on membership campaigns with AGS and both have served in local organizations in the Racine, WI area.
Philanthropy also is at the heart of Rasmussen Diamonds, which has donated merchandise or gift certificates valued in excess of $1 million dollars since 1977.
Bill and Kathy Sustacheck.
Recently, the jeweler was featured in the “Back To Business” sponsored section of The Journal Times, highlighting how it has helped customers celebrate special moments in their lives.
From the advertorial:
The staff at Rasmussen believe they can turn husbands into heroes by helping them make the best choice when picking out jewelry for their wives. Kristi Widmar, Sustachek’s daughter and manager at Rasmussen, recalled when a male customer entered the store with his mother. They were seeking an engagement ring for his soon-to-be fiancee.
“He saw a ring he couldn’t keep his eyes off,” Widmar said, adding finding the right ring opened the customer up. “He said, ‘Mom, I think this is the one.’ You could tell, he was practically floating.”
Kathy Sustacheck also recalled a customer who bought his wife a celebration gift when she was declared cancer-free.
“I think about the times my husband gave me jewelry,” Sustachek said. “It’s feeling so loved and so important that I’m moved to tears.”