My mind was racing today.  I just received a wedding announcement from a former co-worker. I began thinking about weddings. I then started to think about wedding rings. My thoughts switched to jewelry stores and then to the nice memories made inside jewelry stores.

Those thoughts bring me to Les Crago Jewelers in the Colony Plaza in Millcreek. The store is closing on June 21 after 75 years in business. I want to talk about jewelry store memories with owners Stephen and Robyn Crago. Stephen's father Les founded the business after serving in World War II and then working for jewelry stores in downtown Erie.

"He had the itch to start his own business,” says Stephen. “So, in 1950 he came out to the west side here. He was at 12th and Powell. Those buildings are gone."

Les Crago Jewelers moved to the Colony Plaza in 1953. It moved to another spot in the plaza in 1957 and has been at this location ever since. 75 years in business. 75 years of being a part of the special moments in people's lives. Birthdays. Anniversaries. Weddings. The store has sold thousands of wedding and engagement rings. What an honor!

"I always say that we sell emotion. Not just jewelry,” says Stephen. “We sell emotion. And it's true. Almost every purchase that’s made in here, or a special order that's delivered, it has joy attached to it."

Robyn says one of the most important traits of being a jeweler is to be able to keep a secret. She knows the families of a lot of the grooms that came in to buy an engagement ring. She also knew the families of the future bride.

"So there were a lot of surprises that could have been ruined if we hadn't been able to be so quiet about what was going on,” Robyn says.

One of the most special memories at Les Crago Jewelers had nothing to do with a wedding. The very first customer at Les Crago Jewelers bought a watch from Les 75 years ago. That customer was 15-years old at the time. A few days ago, that customer returned to the store. Robyn says the man who was the store’s first customer wanted to visit the store again before it closed.

“That same gentleman is now 90 and he brought his watch and himself to the jewelry store to share that story with us. We have pictures of him. He was just adorable,” she says.

The Cragos are retiring from the jewelry business. A huge going out of business sale is underway. The memories are priceless.