Suezann (Sue) Rushing
Owner, lead goldsmith
Attending high school in Brainerd, Minnesota, Sue Rushing knew she wanted to be a jeweler the moment she laid hands on metal in her first jewelry making class.
After graduation, she went on to Minneapolis Area Vocational Technical Institute to further her education. Completing the 18 month course in 1982 she began a career that would take her far from home and give her the skills to tackle any challenge in the world of jewelry fabrication, design and repair.
Moving briefly to Phoenix, Arizona, then on to San Diego, she served as in-house goldsmith for C.J. Charles of La Jolla, as well as Slavick's and Jessop's corporate stores in the San Diego area.
In 1990 she moved with her husband Robert to Ashland, Oregon, finding a home with Rogue Valley jewelry manufacturer Strellman's where, among other skills, she perfected the art of stone setting.
Between 1994 and 2002, Sue worked as an independent contractor for various stores in the area, including Rogue Valley Coin and Jewelry. Then, in 2002 she went "in house" with RVCE for three years, earning an impressive reputation as the goldsmith who could do virtually anything that could be done at a jeweler's bench.
Finally though, her lifelong dream of opening a retail jewelry store proved too much of a draw and early in 2005 she struck out on her own. In May of that year Facets Jewelry studio was born.
In the time since, Sue has continued to produce impressive work, establishing herself as one of the preeminent craftsmen in the region and garnering accolades from many quarters. Her future goal is to have more time to produce her own designs and to establish her store as the place to go for unique fine jewelry and superior work from the bench. Her clients will tell you that it has already come to pass.
Staff Biographies
Suezann (Sue) Rushing
The History of Facets Jewelry Studio
Suezann Rushing spent the first 20+ years of her jewelry career behind the scenes as the backbone of many a successful business. Early in 2005, weary of the lack of control of her destiny and with an eager entrepreneurial sprit bubbling up inside her she launched Facets Jewelry Studio at 24 North Bartlett St., just two doors from the current location.
It was a bold move considering that there were already four other well-established jewelry stores within one block of her and that she opened with scant inventory and a shoestring budget.
Evidently, the jewelry gods admired her spunk as slowly customers trickled in, then more, and still more, as word got around that her work was as impeccable as she was personable. Before long, the little business was solidly on its feet and ready for prime time. That's when fate stepped in...
In 2007, Patini, the business that then occupied 301 E. Main St. was struggling. By all accounts it was a winning formula that perhaps Medford was not yet ready for. Too, the nice young ladies that owned it had some sudden changes in their lives that made keeping it going impossible. Coincidentally, that space, though on the surface too big a jump too soon, was one which Sue Rushing and her husband coveted. They knew that, could they pull it off, a corner spot on Main St. could be the move that would vault them to the next level...
With such a high profile property on the line, the Rushings thought that their chances of landing it were slim. Fortunately for them, though, negotiations with Patini went well and in May of 2007 they took possession of their new home.
The rest is...perhaps history waiting to be written. Stay tuned...
Mike Guss
Mike Guss, Goldsmith
