Diamond in the Rough

Whiteside Jewelry has been in business for over 127 years. Making it the oldest jewelry store in the Kansas City area. Dating back to 1898, a man named W.W. Whiteside conceived the idea for a jewelry store and operated it alongside his wife until the 1940s, when Jim Meirowsky later joined Whiteside as a watchmaker after World War II, before finally taking over in 1952. Then Meirowsky’s son, Steve, decided to follow in his father’s footsteps, becoming the new owner in the 1980s, and that’s where it’s been ever since. And soon, Ryan Miller will be the new store owner after Steve Meirowsky is officially retired.

Miller took courses at the Gemological Institute of America. However, most of his learning comes from his time spent at the store and with other mentors. One mentor in particular was a silversmith named Eldon. They met when Eldon was 88 years old, and Miller says that’s where he owes a lot of his learning, through Eldon teaching him. They made jewelry together and became close throughout the years through their shared passion for jewelry. A true friendship formed with a shared interest in getting to work hands-on, bringing people’s old jewelry back to life, and getting to make it look new again. Miller has been working at Whiteside Jewelry since 2007. He’s heavily involved in repairing jewelry and even creating some of his own pieces. He works with a multitude of different gemstones, metals, lab gems, techniques, temperatures, and more. Miller explains how all of this takes a lot of dedication and studying.