Sycamore Jewelers to Close After 25 Years
Owner Joe Cheslock is closing the Virginia store as he heads into retirement.
Cheslock founded and ran the company alongside his late business partner Terry Sprankle, who died unexpectedly last Christmas Eve.
In a Facebook post sharing news of Sprankle’s death, Cheslock described him as “a laid-back, low- stress guy who always had a smile for people. Everybody loved Terry, and he loved everybody. He had a special place in his heart for children, probably because of his own young-at-heart spirit.”
The pair met while working at nearby Morton’s Jewelers and had more than 80 years of combined experience.
Though Cheslock and Sprankle had a lot of expertise to share, they aimed to keep things light and fun for their customers.
“We’ve always felt that we didn’t want to be stuffy jewelers,” said Cheslock. “While we deal with expensive items for important occasions, we have always felt that it should all be fun.
“People who come into a jewelry store are often intimidated, as they don’t know what they are looking at. We give as much information as customers want to take in, but the experience is all about making people happy.”
The full-service jewelry store started out as a small shop inside Midlothian’s Sycamore Square, but soon outgrew the space, relocating to a larger space in the same center.
Later, the jeweler opened a second location in nearby Chester, Virginia.
In 2013, the company bought an even larger space in nearby Commonwealth Centre and consolidated into one location.
Prior to Sprankle’s passing, Cheslock said they already were planning for retirement.
Though he will miss his customers, Cheslock said he’s ready for a new chapter in his life.
The store is currently holding a going-out-of-business sale, which will continue until everything is sold.
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