By ALIN HETT
Hays Post
After more than 20 years in the mall, Riddle’s Jewelry has moved into a larger, modern store at 4315 Vine Street, Suite 10, in Hays.
Anthony Belardo, Store manager, said the move gives the business more space to display its jewelry and, just as important, more room to spend time with customers.
“We were in the mall, for over 20 years. Now we are out here, and it’s been fantastic to have a new modern space to be able to assist Hays and the surrounding communities,” Belardo said.
The store moved during the summer. Belardo said it was time for the Hays location to have a space of its own, where staff could show customers more pieces and sit down with them to consider their choices. Belardo said his employees bring almost 20 years of combined experience in the jewelry business.
Belardo also said a bigger showroom also matters for customers who have never bought fine jewelry. His advice is to come in, look around and try pieces on while the staff helps narrow the choices.
“You get to try it on and see what it actually looks like, which is the most important thing,” he said.
Riddle’s has been family-owned since Jesse Riddle founded the business in 1959. Belardo said members of the family remain involved in its operations. The company’s history is part of what he hopes customers find in the new store, but so is a simpler idea: Jewelry often marks something people want to remember.
“Jewelry is more than just something with decoration,” Belardo said. “It’s something else with an event in your life, memories from maybe a loved one or a friend or a family member.”
For Belardo, that piece is a gold chain and cross his father gave him when he turned 10. He still has it. He said the personal meaning behind a gift is what the business means when it describes itself as being “in the love business.”
He has seen that meaning in his work with customers, too. Belardo recalled tracking down a particular watch for someone retiring after a long career, then arranging to have it engraved. Finding the right one took effort, he said, but the occasion made it memorable.
Customers will find more than engagement rings in the new store. Belardo said Riddle’s carries gold chains, birthstone jewelry, watches and men’s jewelry. The store also provides cleaning, sizing and repairs, with some sizing and repair work available the same day.
Belardo said one of the biggest changes he has seen in jewelry shopping is growing interest in lab-grown diamonds. They give shoppers another option alongside natural diamonds and can allow them to choose a larger stone for less money. He also pushed back on the idea that everything in a jewelry store is out of reach, saying the store carries pieces across a wide range of prices.
The move also coincides with Riddle’s anniversary month in September. Belardo said the store is offering 40% off diamonds during the month, along with sales on some gemstones and gold jewelry.
Riddle’s has also rejoined the Chamber in Hays. Belardo said he wanted the store to take a more active role in the community it serves. For him, that community extends beyond Hays to customers across western Kansas.
That regional connection was on display at the ribbon cutting, where Belardo thanked those who came to see the new space. He hopes those who have not visited yet will take the same first step he recommends to any new customer: stop in and see what catches their eye.
Visit Riddle's today to sign up for Yuengling Flight Golf Cart.