Testimonials

Lithos Jewelry

Ollie and Rich Young

Ollie

“Bread?” I asked my wife, Ollie, as I offered her the cloth covered basket our server had just delivered to the table. This was it! The culmination of months of planning and anticipation, and it was all coming together better than I could have hoped…….

Prior to the birth of our twins, nearly ten and a half years earlier, figuring out what to give Ollie for special occasions had always been a no-brainer. Whenever I would ask her what she wanted she would (half) joke, “Expensive jewelry, of course!”. At the time, we were living in St. Pete, Florida, and through a newspaper article we learned of a new jewelry shop opening up on the beach. What piqued our interest was that the owners were from Montana—and so was I. We met Lornie and Rose Mueller soon after they opened Lithos Jewelry, and ever since it has been the only place we feel completely comfortable making jewelry purchases. After the children were born, however, gifts of “expensive jewelry” gave way to more practical items, as did many of the luxuries we once enjoyed that no longer fit the budget. But I always remembered the special joy it gave both of us whenever Ollie received a beautiful new piece—especially one that had been designed and crafted by Lithos.

Well, after ten years of thinking I finally decided to do something about it. I had in my mind a picture of an emerald and diamond ring—not that I had ever seen one just like it, but I could imagine what I wanted. We had since moved to the Pacific Northwest, but I called Lithos and talked with Lornie and Rose. Ollie’s birthday was still months away, and during that time they worked with me to design the ring I had in mind. When Lornie emailed me a picture of the finished ring, I thought, “That’s perfect!” When it finally arrived and I saw it in person I was blown away! It was even better than I had imagined.

Finally the day had arrived. The scene was perfect. We were celebrating Ollie’s birthday at a favorite seafood restaurant which has a breathtaking view of the spectacular Oregon Coast. I struggled to maintain a calm demeanor, and hoped Ollie would not notice the impish grins that were beginning to spread across the twin’s faces as they watched her reach for the basket. Her initial confusion at finding a beautiful wooden box beneath the cloth quickly gave way to a knowing (or perhaps hopeful?) smile. But the look on her face as she opened the box and gazed upon the ring was utterly priceless. Practical gifts certainly have their place in a relationship, but never do they elicit responses like that or create the memories that last a lifetime. Thank you, Lornie and Rose!

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