Excellent news for Tribute artists - all my stage rings are costume too! I was waiting to be rich to buy the real ones, now you've saved me a fortune!! I AM authentic - woohoo!!
Originally Posted by stevegirton
The funny (and sad) thing is that ol' Dennis is trying to pass himself off as the guy who made Elvis's jewelry and glasses. He did make Elvis's glasses but not his jewelry...that was Lowell Hays' job.....
In other words....buyer beware when dealing with Deniis Roberts...
Heres some pics of mine
Last edited by Jumpsuit Junkie; 02-19-2007 at 02:02 AM.
Cant seem to get pics to show.
Heres link to my photobucket
http://s70.photobucket.com/albums/i8...t=Image028.jpg
http://s70.photobucket.com/albums/i8...t=BlueRing.jpg
http://s70.photobucket.com/albums/i8...t=Image013.jpg
http://s70.photobucket.com/albums/i8...t=56313260.jpg
http://s70.photobucket.com/albums/i8...ent=ontour.jpg
Lowell Hays did have a website with the jewelry. http://www.elvisjeweler.com/ You can't access it because you don't have privilages, whatever that means.
So when Dennis Roberts sells the TCB Necklaces and says that they are from the original molds....they're not? I always heard that the original tcb necklaces were made from a local MEMPHIS jeweler and that the latter necklaces were made from a California jeweler.(Mainly because of that was where he was living at the time.
The original TCB/TLC necklaces and ring were made by Lowell Hayes. As far as I know, Dennis Roberts never made any of Elvis's jewelry other than his eyeglasses.
One reason that Lowell Hayes' jewelry site might not come up may be because he has gone out of business.....
Jeweler to the King - Lowell Hays, Elvis Presley's JewelerThe original TCB/TLC necklaces and ring were made by Lowell Hayes. As far as I know, Dennis Roberts never made any of Elvis's jewelry other than his eyeglasses.
One reason that Lowell Hayes' jewelry site might not come up may be because he has gone out of business.....
The website referenced in this article is temporarily unavailable. This article will be re-featured when the website is once again active. Unfortunately, we do not know when it will be available.
Check out this article: http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art45364.asp
"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 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."
This was really an interesting site, hopefully it will be back online soon.
You have quiet a collection of rings. Cool.Heres some pics of mine
Does anyone remember the pricing? There's also another guy on ebay who sells the tcb line and I think Mr. Roberts in his new listings blast the other guy. I'm getting married in May and would like to suprise my wife with an authentic TCB necklace, she already has a nice sterling silver TLC necklace we purchased at one of the stores while visiting Graceland. Does anyone know the timeline for the jewelery.I mean I hear Lowell Hays created the original but then you hear Schwartz & (LEE) Ableser did it, so who were they and how do they all fit in?
Last edited by onlylooking; 02-19-2007 at 03:55 PM.
Im not sure of the timeline but I bought one from Dennis Roberts and he says that its " A first generation reproduction of the original TCB necklace that Elvis presley placed on my neck october 21, 1970" call Dennis if you want one. hes a real nice guy. You can get him to tell you some Elvis stories to.
Last edited by stevegirton; 02-20-2007 at 05:28 PM.
I have seen this picture before, but i never have saw that Joe was wearing that ring.Great photo, and well spotted carolynlm
Matt
Some of you all never been down South too much...
I'm gonna tell you a little story, so you'll understand where I'm talking about
Does anyone know if Lowell Hays is still making Elvis' TCB jewerly? Lowell Hays website is no longer active.
No, he's not. Lowell Hays went out of business and clsoed his doors last year, I believe....
Thanks Tony
Correction on my last post: after nearly 68 years in business Lowell Hays closed the doors of his company in 2005. Here's the story from the Memphis Business Journal (I split the article up into two parts):
Lowell Hays, Jeweler To Elvis, Prepares For Final Sale After 68 Yers In Business (Part 1)
Lowell Hays, Jeweler To Elvis, Prepares For Final Sale After 68 Yers In Business (Part 2)
The entire article is listed below:
Lowell Hays, Jeweler To Elvis, Prepares For Final Sale After 68 Yers In Business
After 68 years, Lowell Hays Jewelers is going out of business. When all the merchandise is sold, the lights at 454 South Perkins Ext. are turned off and the doors are locked, the city will be losing a long-standing institution that has touched the lives of generations of Mid-South residents. Over the years, this family business has helped create countless special moments and the keepsakes to remember them by.
It is a business that has gained international notoriety as the official jeweler of Elvis Presley. Lowell Hays Jr. still sells replicas of the TCB (Taking Care of Business) ring, and TCB and TLC (Tender Loving Care) necklaces he designed for the King of Rock 'n' Roll 34 years ago.
But after 44 years of running the family business, and with no one to follow in his footsteps, Hays says he and his wife, Linda, are ready for some much-needed relaxation time.
"I'm just ready to retire," he says.
Linda Hays says she's sad to see the family business closing, but is looking forward to spending quality time with her family and having the freedom of living without a set schedule.
"I have mixed emotions," she says.
It's a decision the couple made last holiday season, and initiated with a going-out-of-business sale that began last month. Items throughout the store are discounted up to 70%, and Hays says he'll stay open until it's all gone, which is expected to be before the lease on the store runs out at the end of February.
It all started in 1937, when Paducah, Ky., native Lowell Hays Sr. began doing repair work for local jewelry merchants out of his Memphis home. As his skills at jewelry repair and design grew, so did his reputation and his business. In 1943, he moved to a Downtown office at the corner of Main and Union.
Lowell Hays Jr. joined his father in 1961 at the age of 20, and father and son did repairs and custom jewelry design, while Hays Sr.'s wife, Dixie, worked with customers and handled the books. In 1971, Lowell Hays and Sons Jewelers branched out into retail sales.
It was a few years before that Lowell Hays Jr. met Presley.
"I still don't know why he liked me, but we became friends immediately," he says.
The two remained close friends until Presley's death in 1977. On numerous occasions, Hays met Presley at the store after hours so he could shop. Hays and his wife traveled with Presley as he performed throughout the country, riding in his private jet, the Lisa Marie, and going to countless concerts. Hays says he always carried a briefcase full of jewelry because Presley was constantly buying special gifts for friends and fans.
"He bought a piece of jewelry every day," he says.
Hays got one of his biggest surprises at Graceland one day, when Presley gave him a brand new Navy blue Lincoln Continental Mark 4, which the duo almost wrecked on the first test drive.
Other notable clients over the years have included Issac Hayes, Al Green, T.G. Sheppard and the country music band Alabama. But aside from celebrities, Hays has many fond memories with everyday customers. Hays says he's always loved selling engagement rings because of the excitement of young couples. It is those personal moments that have truly made Lowell Hays Jewelers what it is, says Todd Morgan of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.
"Lowell Hays Jewelers is a real Memphis institution, even without the acclaim brought to them by their most celebrated client," Morgan said in a statement. "EPE and Elvis fans everywhere will always appreciate Mr. Hays for being a good friend to Elvis Presley and for creating some of his most iconic pieces of jewelry."
For the future, Hays says he plans to help his son Price Hays get started in the real estate business, and will continue to sell his original jewelry via his Web site, www.elvisjeweler.com.
But more than working, he and his wife are looking forward to a trip to New York City next year, lots of carefree days and Christmases minus the exhaustion that comes with running a retail business.
"I have a beautiful house at Pickwick, and I plan on spending a lot of time there," Hays says.
Last edited by Tony Trout; 03-03-2007 at 09:26 AM.
Since Lowell Hays' website was up one day and gone the next and it was discussed on this thread, I found this interesting tidbit on EI:
One of Elvis Presley Enterprises' newest licensees is Lowell Hays, who was Elvis's jeweler and friend in the 1970s. During that time, Mr. Hays was Elvis's primary source for the great amount of jewelry he bought for himself and for friends and family. Mr. Hays designed many custom pieces of jewelry for Elvis, the most famous being the TCB ring. And now you may have officially licensed replicas of some of these special items directly from Lowell Hays.
On Tuesday, March 27, at 4:00pm CST, Elvis Insiders will get to participate in a LiveChat with Elvis's Jeweler, Lowell Hays.
lowell hays site is up and running. pretty cool stuff. This is the original ring.
Is there any way to tell the originals from the reproductions?
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