Susie Rogers found her career path when something shiny caught her eye.
"I was getting a ring sized, and the lady that took in my ring, I was asking her who would do the work, and she said they did it in the shop," Rogers said. "I told her I'd like to become a jeweler, I thought, because I always thought that would be kind of cool."
Already with a bachelor of fine arts from William Woods University, she had intended to go to college to learn the trade, but the gemologist told her she should learn on the job.
Her response: "Well, here I am."
Twenty-five years later, Rogers is an experienced bench jeweler running her own shop.
"I've been a bench jeweler forever because of my love for sparkly things and just jewelry and art - it's all kind of commingled," Rogers said.
That day 25 years ago in a jewelry store at Capital Mall has come full circle across many facets - not only does the woman who hired her, Kathi Jones, now work for her, but Rogers and her brother, Mike Acree, now operate Show-Me Gold and Silver at the same Jefferson City mall where she started.
Show-Me Gold and Silver sells new fine jewelry as well as Native American and artisan jewelry and estate pieces, also offering full-service jewelry repair and buying precious metals.
Jones is the shop's graduate gemologist, offering appraisals by appointment, and a second bench jeweler, who makes and repairs jewelry, brings another 45 years of experience.
Rogers' days as an apprentice jeweler under Richard Jones - Kathi Jones' father-in law - at Jeweler's Workbench set her up for a career in jewelry repair, which she did for 18 years before she and Acree went into business for themselves.
"I thought, 'Well, if I can repair it, surely I can make it and design it,'" she said.
Acree, who was already a gold buyer, convinced her in 2012 to open their first business together in Holts Summit - Rogers grew up in the Lake Mykee area and now lives in New Bloomfield. That business has since relocated to Capital Mall, and the sister and brother also own Radiant Jewelry in O'Fallon.
One difference between working for a large corporate jewelry store and running her own small jewelry shop is that she can do her own repairs on site. She also has the freedom to make custom pieces and sell jewelry made by local artisans.
"Jewelry and art is so personal," she said. "Some people like something really big; some people want something really small. And some people want semi-precious stones, some people want diamonds. So you have to be very versatile in this business, and that's part of the reason I love my job."
She also loves making people happy.
"It's very rewarding work when I am able to repair someone's estate piece of jewelry that came from their aunt or grandma and they come in and pick it up and their face lights up because it looks like it's all new again," she said.
Rogers became a juried Best of Missouri Hands Artisan in 2010. (The Best of Missouri Hands is a nonprofit that recognizes Missouri artisans.) Locally, her work has been displayed in the Runge Nature Center's "Call to Nature" exhibit, and she has been invited back to the 2020 show.