After seven decades, Lammons Fine Jewelry, 1126 N. Lamar Blvd. will close at 2 p.m. for good. For the past ten weeks, Allan and Nancy King have been busy with their going-out of business, with pricing now marked down 75%. 

Owners Allan and Nancy King have decided to retire after more than four decades of providing jewelry for both young and old in Oxford.

“There’s just too much going on,” Nancy said. “We have a grandchild and another on the way and we’d like to spend more time with them. My mother, who is 95, lives with my sister in Birmingham and we’d like to visit with them.”

Nancy started working in the business with her father, Mike Lammon, back when she was only 8 years old and the business was in Lexington. She and her husband moved back to Oxford in 1984 and then bought the business from Nancy’s father in 1996. They moved to their current location in 2009.

All told, Lammons Fine Jewelry has been doing business since 1947.

“We’ve had a great run,” said Allan, a native of Oxford.  “Oxford’s been so supportive of us from the time we’ve opened up until now. It’s with some sadness and kind of bittersweet that we find ourselves wanting to do this, but it’s a choice we are making and not a choice we are having to make, which is the nice part about it.

“Probably as much as anything, we’ve got a granddaughter we don’t get to see as much; she lives four hours away, and we don’t get to see her as much as we want to. We can’t do that right now. 

“So, that was sort of the tipping point. There were other factors – our age and, while we still have good health, we wanted to do some traveling and see some things.

“As much as anything, I’m looking for a normal Christmas,” he added with a chuckle. “We haven’t had a normal Christmas for 45 years!”

Allen received his technical training at Paris Institute of Jewelry Technology in Paris, Texas. Nancy, having grown up working in her father’s store, used her artistic nature to bring “ the right mix of jewelry together,” the company’s website stated.

In addition to the business bursting at the seams with shoppers and friends, Facebook has been aglow with commentary from longtime customers:

• “Our family LOVED doing business with you over the years and we will certainly miss your genuine hospitality. Congratulations on your retirement.”
• “Everyone in Lammons is SO nice. Will miss their hospitality. Congratulations on retirement.”
• “Just wanted to say thank you for everything y’all have done for me throughout the years and enjoy your retirement!”

One comment from the United Way of Oxford-Lafayette County summed it up well: “Thank you for all you have done for our organization and community, Allan and Nancy! We appreciate you so much and hope you enjoy your retirement.”

The Kings pointed out the part that employee Laura Lehner has played in their success. “For the last eight years, she has been an integral part of what we do – we couldn’t have done it without her,” Allan said. “It was somewhat like a miracle that we hired her – we weren’t looking for someone, but we needed to. We didn’t know her initially, but she came in looking for a piece of jewelry for herself. We started talking and realized we had a mutual family connection and it’s been a perfect fit all this time.”

Though the Kings appreciate their time in business, it’s the friends they cherish the most.

“We’ve met so many wonderful people who started off as customers and then became friends,” Allan said. “It’s been a magical run for us.”