McGough & Co.

Dec 30

In their own words

“Our engagement rings are unique, and we handpick them. I don’t want to sell the same ring three or four times; I’d like to sell just one and then order something else for the next future bride that comes in the store. We sell a lot of Montana sapphires, which are local to us. We have the largest selection of Montana sapphires in the state. We also carry Yogo sapphires, the finest sapphires in the world—they’re tough to get.”

-Stacey McGough

Jason’s Interview with Stacey

Jason

Today, we're talking to Stacey McGough from McGough & Co. How did you get into the jewelry industry?

Stacey

My father started a store thirty years ago in Montana. I moved there and was going to work for him for just a short time. Three years ago, I bought the business from him.

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Jason
So, you didn't know you were gonna do this. What was it that made you stick?

Stacey
Kind of got stuck in the small town. It was a great job; I wasn't going to stay here, but I ended up getting married and having children and raising them in the area, and that's kind of how I got stuck. The more I got involved in it, the more I loved it and became passionate about it. I got my gemology degree, which added a different level of excitement.

Jason
What's the experience like when people come in?

Stacey
We are a jewelry store that has a lot to offer, from $10 sterling silver earrings to diamond engagement rings by Tacori. We're a comfortable kind of hometown environment. It's not stuffy; it’s not intimidating to walk in. We’re very friendly; we offer a lot of information. We sell what we love. We feel like we've hand-picked brands that not only we love the most, but we know their quality, and we're happy to stand behind it.

Jason
Tell us about the amazing brands.

Stacey
Tacori is our favorite. For bridal, we carry Allison Kaufman, who has incredible colored stones. Gabrielle and Co., which is huge. I think they're one of the number one jewelers in the nation, and they offer bridal, fashion, and colored gemstones. We sell a lot of Montana sapphires, which are local to us. We are a tourist town, so the tourists come in the summer, and they love the Montana sapphires. We have the largest selection of Montana sapphires in the state. We also carry the yogo sapphires, which are the finest sapphires in the world. They're tough to get. There is a gentleman who purchased the mine a few years ago, and he's trying to get it back up and ready. That'll be fun when those are more plentiful and easier to access. I don't want to sell the same ring three or four times. I'd like to sell just one and then reorder something else that's unique for the next future bride.

Jason
Over these last thirty years, McGough & Co. has supported interesting and monumental causes in the area. Tell us some that you're supporting.

Stacey
We support the Sparrows Nest, which is a homeless shelter for youths in high school. Another one is a home out of Kalispell for disabled adults. Lots of sports teams. How Young Life, which is a faith-based program for kids after school. There's the Wounded Warrior program. We've donated to our Winter Carnival, which is a big deal in Whitefish. It brings thousands of people to our town. And donated a lot to Teen Challenge, which is a drug addiction rehab center that I hold dear to my heart because my son went through it. We try to continue to support that effort because it was extremely successful for my son. And to the arts, to the Alpine Theater Project. It gives our amazing job more of a purpose.

Jason
What motivates you?

Stacey
When I bought the business three years ago, it was one of those things where if I was going to take it over, there had to be a bigger “Why?” than just selling jewelry. Not that that's not important. But you have to be bigger than that.

Jason
Tell us a fun proposal experience. I want to hear a good one.

Stacey
We've had quite a few proposals in the store, which has been fun to be a part of. Not as romantic as some of the stories we hear outside of the store. There have been some elaborate ones over the years. I think my favorite story was probably twenty years ago, and it was more of an anniversary gift. A gentleman, he's a customer from Arizona, but he would come to the store every year. He called me and wanted to buy his wife a two-carat diamond. So, we ordered a few of them and the mounting that we thought she might like. He surprised her with a trip to Montana, and he brought her in the store. She thought she was just coming to say hi, and he said, I want you to pick out a mounting. So she did, and she got all giddy and excited and didn't really know what was going on. We found out which one she wanted, reset the stone, and shipped it to him. He presented it to her for; I think it was the 25th anniversary. We handpick not only the matchings, but if you're looking for a specific stone, we’ll bring a few in; we’ll let you decide which one's your favorite while we educate you through the process as well. We have fun doing it. If we want to serve champagne while you’re in the process of it, we’ll serve champagne. If you want just a mellow, low-key experience, we’ll create that for you as well. A lot of our customers become friends over time.