From the time he was a shy young boy growing up in Memphis, Tennessee, Elvis Presley was crazy about music. He went on to become the 'King of Rock 'n Roll'. His unique style, lack of affectation, and monumental talent won him instant fame, and fortune followed. By the time Elvis was known as the King, he had his Graceland palace, and began collecting all the beautiful things money can buy. By the time he was the paramount performer in Las Vegas, his passion for big luxurious cars and motorcycles, dramatic jewel encrusted clothing, and gemstone jewelry was legendary. His penchant for sharing his good fortune was legendary, too!

Like all kings, Elvis had his own personal jeweler. Lowell Hays became Jeweler to the King in the early 1970's. For more than five years he traveled with Elvis, shared the good times and a warm friendship, and turned Elvis’ visions into reality with a dazzling array of stunning rings, pendants, bracelets, and pins. What Elvis fan can forget the TCB Ring that Elvis wore so proudly(there was only one TCB ring made exclusivley for Elvis—Mr. Hays began producing duplicates of this gorgeous piece several years after Elvis passed away), the TCB Necklaces, TLC Necklaces, American Flag Pin, Gold Tube I.D. Bracelet with Inscription, and the spectacular Diamond Engagement Ring he bestowed upon his young fiancé, Ginger Alden, in the final days of his life—these are just a few of the many incredible jewelry pieces created by Lowell Hays for Elvis. In addition to being Elvis' jeweler, Mr. Hays was also one of the premiere jewelers in Memphis for more than three decades, his lavish showroom brimful of the finest jewelry.

After being in the jewelry business for so many years, Mr. Hays closed his store in February 2006 to focus exclusively on the Elvis collection which he now handcrafts in his home studio. This exceptional Elvis jewelry collection is available for you to order at his elegant new online shop, Jeweler to the King at www.jewelertotheking.com This very cool website showcases Elvis jewelry created using the original molds, now available to you in a variety of beautiful versions using both precious gemstones and synthetic stones. They are awesome pieces and it's clear why Elvis chose Lowell Hays to be his jeweler. You will also find great photos and entertaining stories about Elvis—stories about his generosity, his extravagance, his love for his fans, and his love of fine jewelry. We highly recommend a visit to Jeweler to the King—truly a treat for every Elvis fan, and anyone else who appreciates beautiful jewelry.

We are so impressed with this outstanding collection of Elvis jewelry that we’ve added a special section of the Bella Online Jewelry Collecting site dedicated to collecting this timeless jewelry, entitled Elvis Jewelry. Check it out often as we will be announcing new pieces as Mr. Hays introduces them. Elvis was by far the most famous jewelry collector ever and Elvis Jewelry will feature an ongoing series of articles in the coming months showcasing individual pieces of Elvis’ magnificent jewelry collection, and other entertaining stories about Elvis and his love of jewelry.

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Lowell Hays by telephone. Since closing his showroom, he has been working on the Elvis collection and helping his sons build houses. He really enjoys working outdoors and being with his family. Mr. Hays is a charming man, and I thoroughly enjoyed our chat. We talked about him growing up in the jewelry business, and how much he enjoyed his career as a jeweler. In our interview he shares some wonderful stories about Elvis with us, and you can read many more at Jeweler to the King
 

Background

SD: It’s an honor to meet you and I really appreciate your time for our interview today.

Lowell Hays: Well thank you.

SD: Like most women, I love jewelry. I can only imagine being a jeweler would be a fascinating business for a lot of reasons. Everything you create is making someone extremely happy, Was that a large part of the reward of being a jeweler for you?

Lowell Hays: Well, it was always a thrill, especially for engagement rings. The bride-to-be would usually come back the next day after getting the ring to get it sized. We’d get to meet her. We sold a lot of individual men an engagement ring. Usually what they did is go shopping together—he would get an idea of what she liked, find the ring she liked, then he would come back when she wasn’t with him. It would still be sort of a surprise for her.

SD: That does sound like an exciting part of the business. Did you enjoy the showroom? From pictures I seen on your original website it looked like a gorgeous place.

Lowell Hays: It was gorgeous place. I just got tired of it. I’m 67 years old and I’ve been in the business since I was 22.

SD: That is a long time.

Lowell Hays: Yeah!

SD: While you were in the business it sounds like you enjoyed it, and I’m sure you were very busy. I read lots of interesting stories on your original website and one of the people I found fascinating was Charlie May Bell. For the 55 years she worked with your father and then you, she was stringing pearls. I’m thinking she must have been pretty amazing at it?

Lowell Hays: I’m telling you she is an amazing lady. She worked for my parents when they had the stores. She’s a great lady! She was a great asset. She kind of took over as my Mom half the time. When my Mom passed away she decided she should raise me. Of course, I was 47 years old when my mother passed away, but Charlie May still decided that she should take on some of my mother’s role. I love her to death!

SD: She sure sounds like a nice lady. So you’re still friends with the people who worked with you in the business?

Lowell Hays:Yes I am.

SD: You started the retail end of the business in 1971. Your Dad, Lowell Hays Sr., was mostly in the repair end of the business to start out with, then went on to design jewelry for the Masons, and then on to design other jewelry pieces.

Lowell Hays: He was really a manufacturer—he had a shop, a factory. He made jewelry. He had jewelers who worked for him. He had three brothers who worked for him, and a few other men, and Charlie May worked for him, too. He made jewelry for jewelry stores all over the United States.

SD: So it became a very large business?

Lowell Hays: His business was a really big business. Well, I never was interested in running a factory. I wanted to be in the retail jewelry business so in 1971 my Dad financed it and I went into the retail jewelry business. I was instantly successful, thank God, and I always have been. The store was always a success since the day it opened.

SD: You were one of the premiere jewelers in Memphis and your creations were worn by many people, the most famous of whom was Elvis Presley. Did you make jewelry for any other high profile people we might know?

Lowell Hays: I would say no—nobody else you would know. T.G. Shephard was one. He’s a customer, and years ago I sold Isaac Hayes some pieces.

SD: Were you born and raised in Memphis?

Lowell Hays: I was.

SD: Do you have any other interests or hobbies you would like to share with our visitors? For example, you mention you build houses.

Lowell Hays: Well, I’ve always liked construction work. Somewhere along the way, about 10 years ago, I got into the construction business and built some houses on the Tennessee River. I ended up with a lakefront home up there and that is my favorite place. I have a beautiful home right on the Tennessee River and 100 miles east of Memphis and all my children can gather there, and it’s fun. I have three sons and two daughters. One of my sons lives in Florida. We don’t see much of him—it’s just a long way away.

SD: Are any of your children interested in the jewelry business?

Lowell Hays: No. They just never were really.

SD: Bet they like jewelry?

Lowell Hays: They like jewelry but they didn’t want to get into the business.

SD: I know, I like jewelry too, but it’s a different thing being in the business.

Lowell Hays: I worked for my Dad on the bench and was trained to manufacture jewelry so I was a diamond cutter and jewelry manufacturer myself before I went into the retail business. That’s where I learned that I didn’t want to manufacture jewelry. My father insisted that I learn how to make jewelry—he said I had to know how to make it before I could sell it. There was a lot of truth in that. I did that, and then in 1971 I went into the retail business.

Creating Jewelry for the King

SD: Do you have a favorite stone you like working with? For example, do you like diamonds more than sapphires?

Lowell Hays: Well, I love the combination of diamonds with emeralds, sapphires, and rubies. I love those combinations and I worked a lot with those combinations.

SD: One of my recent articles is called In Praise of Cubic Zirconias. Have you ever used cubic zirconias in your jewelry designs?

Lowell Hays: I never did anything with cubic zirconias. Except what I’m doing now with the Elvis jewelry—I’m putting some cz’s in some of the Elvis jewelry. But there was never a cz sold in my jewelry store.

SD: So you only sold fine jewelry. But what about cubic zirconias. You use them on some of the Elvis pieces and they’re beautiful alone and in combination with precious gemstones. They really are a beautiful diamond simulant. Can you tell the difference just by looking at one with the naked eye?

Lowell Hays: Absolutely! But you can’t!

SD: No, I know. (laughing) So the difference is, you need a trained eye to be able to tell them apart.

Lowell Hays: In very little stones, small stones like I’m putting in the TCB and TLC pieces. It is difficult to tell the difference between a cz and a diamond in those.

SD: Even for the trained eye of a jeweler or gemologist?

Lowell Hays: You would have to look at them with the loupe then. But with the natural eye, you can’t tell.

SD: Now one of the things I checked on when I was preparing for our interview was information about the city of Memphis. I’ve never been there but would love to visit some day. I went to the City of Memphis website and the first paragraph is all about Elvis. It states that it was the birthplace of the blues and the home of Elvis Presley. It mentions Graceland and how it is the second most visited house in the country next to the Whitehouse. As Elvis’ jeweler did you get a lot of Elvis fans coming to your shop—do most Elvis fans know about his jeweler?

Lowell Hays: Yes, a lot of Elvis fans came by whenever it was Elvis Week in Memphis. All the real Elvis fans know about me and they would come by the store to visit.

SD: That must have been fun?

Lowell Hays: Yes, that was fun. I’m going to miss that part of it. But, my new website will have my phone number so fans can get in touch. It’s going to drive me crazy, but I don’t care.

SD: The TCB ring must be one of your favorites to make.

Lowell Hays: Well it is. If you read the story on my website it was just so much fun to put it together and Elvis to be so exuberant when he got it.

SD: Yes, that was a great story. He was just like a kid when he seen it. So thrilled!

Lowell Hays: He was. It was unbelievable!

SD: Do you remember that day clearly?

Lowell Hays: Sure. He jumped up from the table and said I want to do something for you. What can I do. I said, “I want that Lincoln parked outside the door?" He said, “You got it!”, and he gave me the keys to it. It was a beautiful Lincoln Mark III. He was like that. He seriously wanted to do something for you. I being the only one that hung around with him who had plenty of money, he just never really knew what to do for me. He gave cars away left and right, you know.

SD: So he really had to think of what to give you because you already had so much?

Lowell Hays: Yes, he really did want to give me something. Sincerely, he was just that kind of person. So he gave me that car. He was thrilled to do it.

SD: He sounds like a fabulous, really generous guy. There must have been lots of great times you enjoyed while traveling with Elvis.

Lowell Hays: I loved traveling with him. Lots of great times. Everywhere we went was a new world, a new experience. Lots of fun, lots of fun being with his group. It was really neat.

SD: There’s lots of great stories on your website. One is the night he gave away all that jewelry to the fans during a concert. The other story I love is when he visited that little boy in the hospital and gave him his garnet cross pendant. That’s amazing! Would you consider custom making other Elvis pieces like the garnet cross, for example.

Lowell Hays: Sure. At this point I would do anything. Right after he passed away I wouldn’t do anything for a long time. I thought, leave the man alone, the man is gone. You know I really loved him, and then as the years have gone by I thought I’m just an idiot not to reproduce the jewelry that I made for him, so that’s what I’m doing.

SD: I think it’s certainly a great tribute to Elvis that you have brought these pieces back. And it’s being made from the original molds—they are beautiful timeless jewelry pieces on their own, and true collectibles as well. It’s been a real pleasure speaking with you today and I appreciate your time.

Lowell Hays: It’s been a pleasure speaking with you too. And I enjoyed looking at your website.

SD: Thank you very much sir, and have a great day!

Lowell Hays: You too.