Family creating functional art one tiny gem at a time

A dinosaur of the jewelry business is making memories that last a lifetime.
AVA Goldworks of Hannibal has just added to an already-impressive wall of awards.
And the family-owned store has done it the old-fashioned way - through hard, tedious, hands-on work.
Randy Hurt and his daughter, Brandy, are the designers and manufacturers. Randy’s wife, Debbie, crunches the numbers and oversees sales.
Together, the family brings back memories of days gone by while creating modern, functional art one tiny gem at a time.
“Everybody wants to celebrate their individuality,” said Randy, a Certified Master Bench Jeweler who’s been at the trade for 35 years. “What better way to do that than with your own signature piece.”
“We’re very adamant about making it ourselves,” Brandy said. “When we say it’s handmade, it’s handmade.”
“Many designers are in a rut, and they want to stay there,” Debbie added. “That’s not what we do.”
Randy recently took home Best of Show and the Craftsmanship Award at the Missouri Jewelers and Watchmakers Association design competition. Brandy took home a first place.
It’s the third Best of Show the tiny store has received, and the fourth year in the last five that the family has taken home top awards.
Randy won this year’s Best of Show for an intricate necklace titled “The Earth is Our Pearl.” The piece features white and yellow gold, a moonstone, black opal, white and yellow diamonds and Tahitian pearls. A special feature is the hidden clasp.
“It’s meant to be viewed either open or shut,” Randy said. “It’s a one-of-a-kind.”
Brandy got her first place for an expressive gold necklace that features a 24.2 carat madeira citrine.
“It’s very three-dimensional,” Brandy said. “A lot of jewelry is designed to be seen from the top. We design our jewelry to be pretty from all angles.”
The award-winning necklaces aren’t for sale, but plenty of other unique items are available.
In an age of mass-produced products that are exactly alike and jewelry stores that outsource their work, AVA Goldworks stands out.
While the store features a few things made by other craftspeople, the majority of items are designed and made by the Hurts. These days, that’s rare.
“We’re kind of an Old World type of business,” Randy said. “We’ll make it to your specifications. It’s unique.”
Brandy designs most items and her father makes them. Randy leans toward antique styles and Brandy likes the modern designs, but they often find a way to come together and create something beautiful.
“We both like to do things in another vein,” Brandy said. “There’s no limitations on what I can design because Dad can make anything.”
Nothing good ever comes easy, and that’s especially true with jewels. “The Earth is Our Pearl” necklace was in the planning stages for a year and took several weeks to make.
“It’s a skill-building process,” Randy said. “It takes time.”
Brandy sees the challenge of such intricate work as necessary to the art.
“If you’re good at what you do, you’re constantly learning because you’re challenging yourself to get better,” she said.
Like custom prom dresses, every item AVA makes is an original. No duplicates are ever produced. Randy designed his wife’s wedding ring, but doesn’t wear jewelry himself.
“I’ve got two women to do that,” he said with a laugh.
Brandy’s older brothers, Ryan and Dustin, also have gotten involved in the business from time to time, and the family lives above the shop at 211 Center.
“We’re very fortunate we have children with a variety of talents,” Debbie said. “They help us in a lot of ways.”
The best part, Randy says, is that the family gets to make customers happy every day.
“It’s a very emotional business,” he said. “Anybody who’s buying jewelry is buying it for a happy occasion. That is infectious.”
More information is available by calling (573) 221-1928 or logging on to www.avagoldworks.com