After serving in the Navy during the Korean War, he moved to Meridian and began doing repairs for Lerner’s Jewelers. Later on, he moved to the fifth floor of the Threefoot Building, providing wholesale jewelry repair for Meridian and the surrounding area with accounts as far away as Columbus. He was joined by my mother, Teresa Bailey LaBiche in 1957, and she has served as the matriarch of LaBiche Jewelers ever since. From bookkeeping, to appraisals, to pearl stringing, she has cultivated customer and vendor relationships for over 50 years – many of which are still in place today.
When he began selling retail jewelry, he moved to 2209-1/2 8th street, after a short time, he expanded and moved again to 2211 8th street. I joined him at the bench in 1980, after graduating from high school. We remained at that location until 1986 when he purchased the current location at 2212 8th street.
The purchase of the building provided more room for retail space and allowed my father to personalize the store and design it from his own ideas. The store features a large mural that was painted by my sister, Teresa LaBiche, prior to the renovations and serves as a backdrop for the fountain. The scene depicted is a view of Pirates Alley, located next to St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans. The fountain resembles one located in a courtyard in the French Quarter and served as a reminder to my father of his birthplace. If you have the time, sitting on the bench by the fountain is a great way to relax.
My father passed away in 2007, but his legacy lives on. Last year, we celebrated LaBiche Jewelers’ 60th Anniversary. He built this business one customer at a time, on a foundation of trust. He often said, “If you don’t know jewelry, know your jeweler.” As Meridian’s most trusted jeweler, we have helped generations of families celebrate the milestones in their lives with fine jewelry as well as treasured gifts. We take pride in the quality of our jewelry and in our personalized service, making your jewelry shopping experience as memorable as the event you are celebrating.
LaBiche Jewelers continues to be family owned and operated. In 2008, I purchased the business from my mother, Teresa, who is now retired. Affectionately known as “Mother Teresa”, her touch is seen in the interior improvements made at the jewelry store in 2008 and she remains active in the Mississippi Jewelers Association. Although we primarily serve East Mississippi and West Alabama, we have customers as far away as Alaska. Over the years, with the help of our community, we have grown from a small repair shop to a multiple brand jewelry retailer.
Whenever you are considering a fine jewelry purchase, we hope you will give us the opportunity to partner with you. We would be honored and privileged to assist you with any of your jewelry related needs. We are a full service retailer, with brilliant loose diamonds, gemstones, engagement rings, large selection of bridal jewelry, pearls, add-a-link diamond bracelets, start to finish diamond bracelets, Rhythm of Love, sterling silver, Italian charm bracelets, Rembrandt charms, LaBiche signature watches, Obaku watches, Reactor watches, custom made jewelry designs, personalized engraving and expert in-house repairs (including state of the art laser repairs). My staff and I at LaBiche Jewelers are committed to make every customer “feel at home” with our personalized service.
Over the years, we have built a “Heritage of Trust” with our customers. Our mission is to continue the legacy of integrity started by our founders, my parents, Maurice J. LaBiche, Sr. and Teresa Bailey LaBiche.
Steven LaBiche
Owner/Jeweler
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