Events & Awards

Borsheims’ ‘Ike-It’ Award Goes to Jeweler

Events & AwardsMar 06, 2025

Borsheims’ ‘Ike-It’ Award Goes to Jeweler

Senior Jeweler Jay Wolff was named employee of the year.

Borsheims Senior Jeweler Jay Wolff
Borsheims honored Senior Jeweler Jay Wolff with the “Ike-It” Employee of the Year award for 2024.
Omaha, Neb.—Borsheims has awarded the “Ike-It” Employee of the Year award for 2024 to Senior Jeweler Jay Wolff.

He was nominated and chosen for the award by his fellow colleagues at Borsheims.

Wolff began his career at the retailer in 2012 as a jeweler, after growing up in the industry. 

His grandfather and father owned Wolff Jewelers and Goldsmith in Iowa and Nebraska. Wolff worked at the Iowa location from 1992 to 2001 in a variety of roles, including as a goldsmith, sales associate, and manager for the family business. 

In 2001, he moved to Omaha, Nebraska, and became a jeweler for Hostetter’s Jewelry until the store’s closing in 2012.

“Today, Wolff is known at Borsheims as a kind-hearted leader and someone who consistently goes above and beyond to design special, one-of-a-kind creations for Borsheims customers,” said the retailer.

Wolff said one of his favorite creations he made for a customer is a watch-turned-bracelet. The customer was gifted a watch from her parents when she graduated college in 1954. Wolff reset it into a bracelet, preserving the message on the back from the customer’s parents.

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Borsheims CEO and President Karen Goracke shared her congratulations.

Borsheims Jay Wolff and Karen Goracke
Award winner Jay Wolff (left) with Borsheims CEO and President Karen Goracke


“Jay has long been celebrated by his colleagues for his attention to detail, his willingness to help train new team members, and his helpful attitude. And he’s a true talent! Borsheims is incredibly lucky to have Jay as one of our esteemed team members,” she said.

Wolff and his wife live in Blair, Nebraska, with their daughter, Chloe, and son, Riley. When he’s not at Borsheims, he enjoys being outdoors and spending time with family.

The Ike-It Award is given annually to one associate who embodies Borsheims’ commitment to customer service and demonstrates the company’s core values.

Now in its 33rd year, it was named in honor of Ike Friedman, who owned Borsheims from 1947 to 1989. The award started in 1992, a year after his passing.

Owned by Berkshire Hathaway, the 155-year-old retailer is one of the largest independent jewelry stores in the U.S.

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