The Legacy of Jaimie’s the Diamond Mine

By Cindy Ladage

Cliff and Kelly Hughes are well known in the town of Virden Il. and beyond for their wonderful jewelry store, great customer service, and family values.

This coming January, they will be turning over their business to local jeweler and gemologist Maggie McIntyre Callarman who grew up in Virden, and whose family owns R & R Book Bindery.

The Huges’ purchased Jamie’s Jewelry, then of 25 years, from Jim and Sharon Neal and for the past 30 years have called it Jamie’s the Diamond Mine.  Their gem story began in Quincy, Illinois where Cliff met Kelly at Gem City College, the school of Horology, in 1979,” Cliff said.

Cliff grew up in Oak Lawn, Illinois, and Kelly in Auburn. When they met, the two fell fast for one another and were married on March 8, 1980.  They lived their first married years in the south suburbs of Chicago where they had their first daughter Brittany, and they both started their careers at Lord & Hunt Jewelers. The store had two different locations.  “I was learning to manage, how to physically run the store, while Kelly was doing benchwork at the other location.”

They went on to have 3 more daughters, Bailey, Kelsie, and Kylie, as Cliff worked in several jewelry stores including Water Tower Place and Neiman Marcus in downtown Chicago and Woodfield Mall, to name a few. He eventually managed eight stores while Kelly continued her craft of designing, creating, and repairing jewelry, before they made the decision to move their family south and purchase their own jewelry store.

They have worked together for the past 30 years, nurturing and growing their love for jewelry into the successful fine jewelry store it is today.

To learn more about Jamie’s the Diamond Mine, log onto their website at www.jamiesTDM.com, or stop by the store in person to see what is going on!