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Photograph by Paul Myers
Karen Parrish views diamonds with customer Bruce Cowsert at the Jeweler's Bench, which she runs with her twin sister, Kathy Holm, and mother, Mary O'Connor.
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Longtime jewelers say it's time for retirement
By Shari Kaplan
At the Jeweler's Bench, all that glitters really is gold--not to mention a rainbow array of other precious metals, gemstones and pearls too.
By mid-January, however, that rainbow will have faded, replaced by fond memories for the mother-and-daughters team that has run the downtown Los Gatos business for nearly three decades.
Unlike some local merchants who have closed because of skyrocketing rents, too-low revenues or a combination of these, Mary O'Connor and twin daughters Karen Parrish and Kathy Holm say these past two years have been among their best ever. The reason they've had "Going Out of Business" sale signs blaring from their windows for over a month is very simple: It's time to retire.
"I didn't realize we had so many customers who depended on us," Holm says of the longtime clientele who have been coming in droves to say their good-byes--and get some good buys in the process. "I think I've been hugged more in the past month than in my whole life," O'Connor adds with a smile and a sigh.
Those shoppers and huggers are the result of staying for 25 years in the same place. In 1974, Jeweler's Bench opened in a 200-square-foot spot on Village Lane--home to the former Broken Egg restaurant--but expanded just two years later, relocating to its present location at 236 N. Santa Cruz Ave.
O'Connor says her daughters both maintained rock and mineral collections as children and always showed a creative bent. Parrish and Holm both studied various fields in college pertaining to their future business, including creative arts and geological sciences.
"The girls moved back home after college and did wholesale repair work. Eventually, it got so big that we moved to the Village Lane location," O'Connor says.
"When we started out, women were discouraged from getting into the [jewelry] business. It was very male-dominated," Holm recalls--not that she, her sister or their mother were daunted by that. Each woman soon fell into her own niche: Holm specialized in jewelry design while Parrish concentrated on gemstone settings. Both also did repair, and both are certified members of the American Gem Society. O'Connor kept busy with bookkeeping, ordering and other related jobs.
"Every day is a challenge, but what I love best is working with my daughters. And we still speak to each other!" O'Connor says, laughing. The women agree that what they'll miss most about working in this industry is the chance to add a personal touch.
"I enjoy designing pretty pieces for people who will enjoy them for a long time," Holm says. "It's so rewarding designing something that will get appreciated for generations."
"Mostly, I like the people and the variety of this job; it's always something new. I like making people happy," Parrish adds.
After the Jeweler's Bench closes in mid-January, O'Connor says she isn't sure what she'll do with her retirement, but her daughters suggest she embark on a cross-country roadtrip--a la John Steinbeck in Travels with Charley. Holm and her husband will be moving to the Olympic Peninsula in Washington, where they're building their dream home. In time, Holm may work for a jeweler or even open her own store. Parrish and her husband are staying local--good news for Jeweler's Bench clients, with whom she says she will stay in touch.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
