Sam’s Fine Jewelry selects Jackson for second storefront

In 2006, when Sam Thomas first opened Sam’s Fine Jewelry in Sikeston, he started out with little more than his knowledge of goldsmithing.

“We went through a lot of hardships and it’s what gave us our strength. That’s why I say there’s nothing that can stop us,” Thomas said.

On Friday, Nov. 8, the business opened its second location, this time at 113 S. High St., Suite B, in Jackson. Like the original, it sells a variety of jewelry including rings, earrings, bracelets and necklaces.

Thomas co-owns the Sikeston and Jackson stores with his wife, Paige. Without her and their business coach Joe Blackburn, he said, the expansion could have never taken place.

“She took the business about eight levels higher than it was,” Sam Thomas said. “She had the brains and all the stuff it takes to soar. I just had good work ethic.”

Paige Thomas brought in a new point of sales format and emphasized sales training. She also influenced the company’s use of computer imaging to show clients exactly what their custom jewelry and engravings would look like once complete.

She helped her husband with the steps to expand the business. The pair visited several communities and was impressed by the Oktoberfest turnout in Jackson.

“We’ve looked at other places. Jackson was the strongest,” Sam Thomas said.

They were also enthused by the city’s income levels, school districts and the involvement of the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce. Chamber retail and membership director Janna Clifton personally introduced the Thomases to the future home of their second storefront.

“Being part of a small community or a district is important to us … people come here for a reason,” Paige Thomas said. “Everyone walks in these doors for a reason. That’s why we want to be in an area specifically for that purpose, to help local communities thrive.”

The Thomases divide their days between the two Sam’s Fine Jewelry locations. They have a team of six employees at their Sikeston store, two remote workers and three full time in Jackson. Among the staff are fellow goldsmiths Hector Romero and Sarah Parker.

Golden beginnings

Sam Thomas learned the craft in Quincy, Illinois. He had gotten out of the Marine Corps after joining at 17 and was working three jobs, one of which was at a pawnshop. He found an old goldsmith’s bench there and thought it would be a good skill to learn.

“I did not care about how much I was getting paid. I was getting paid nothing; it didn't bother me. I did it for the knowledge,” he said.

Wanting to further a career in the jewelry business, Sam Thomas moved to Chicago for work, then to Sikeston for a part-ownership deal. That never transpired, so he opened his own shop instead.

He started out in Sikeston with four showcases he bought from a gas station. He sold crystal figurines, a small amount of jewelry and two quarter-carat diamonds. He said he worked 120-hour weeks with his son and daughter sleeping beside him while he did so.

“I’d try to sell jewelry with a baby in hand. It was a little tough,” he said.

Most of the money he earned went back into the shop. After years, he had made enough to build additional living quarters upstairs. Thomas said his children, when they were older, offered their help and learned engraving to aid the business.

“There’s nothing we can’t do with jewelry. There’s nothing we can’t fix, there’s nothing we can’t create,” Sam Thomas said.

The company also offers wish lists, allowing customers to curate lists of items they’d be interesting in wearing for other people — often husbands and boyfriends — to buy as gifts.

“That way whenever someone comes in to purchase for them, we are sure to get something they will enjoy and wear,” Paige Thomas said.

Sam’s Fine Jewelry in Jackson is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The store will also be open the last two Mondays before Christmas as well as on Christmas Eve.

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