For Don Lowe, owner and operator of Lowe&8217;s Jewelry in Demopolis, the craft of working with jewelry comes naturally. Lowe is the second generation in his family to work in the business, after his father established the store in 1947.

At the time, Lowe said his parents came to town with little more than $100 in their pocket and a dream of running their own business. Since then the business has thrived, and gets customers from not only Demopolis but also the rest of the county and in surrounding areas.

At one point in his life, Lowe said he had decided to become a forester. But after his father suffered a heart attack in 1978, causing Lowe to go work at the family business, he decided the family business was the right place to be.

Not only is this line of work in his blood, Lowe was recently elected president of the Alabama Jewelers Association at the group&8217;s 60th Annual Convention in Birmingham. The organization is just one affiliate of the national association, which was established to create high standards of quality and a code of ethics.

Lowe has been involved in the AJA since 1991. One of the benefits of being a part of the group is the networking, he said. Although his shop may not have every piece his customers desire, his association with other jewelers in the state and the region allow him the chance to get exactly what they are after.

In his career, Lowe said he has seen the industry change. Both the growth of the Internet and the economy has caused small town family jewelry stores to decline. But this has not deterred Lowe from putting out quality pieces his customers can rely on.

Lowe said just last week one of his customers came in to make a purchase and was wearing a watch Lowe&8217;s father had sold to him many years ago. This kind of connection is something that keeps it all worthwhile, he said.

When he is not busy at work keeping up the shop, Lowe can be found behind the lens of a camera, as he describes himself as somewhat of an amateur photographer. He is married to Ivy Lowe, and they have two children, Nicole and Andy.