Moses Jewelers in Butler is celebrating its 57th year of business this year.

In 1949, Merril Moses opened his doors on Main Street in Lyndora after receiving his degree in watchmaking from the Western Pennsylvania School of Horology.

In 1968, he moved to his current location at 115 W. Cunningham St.

"This move proved to be the key to my success," he said. "Thankfully, my business grew along with my family. At one time, all six children and my wife, Jane, worked with me."

In 1981, Moses opened his second store at the Clearview Mall.

"The mall store continues to grow, and recent changes have made it even better," Moses said.

He attributes much of his success to his sons, who work with him.

Larry, who recently celebrated his 33rd year in the business, continues to provide customers with exceptional service.

Tim, Butler's only graduate gemologist, handles selecting the store's diamonds and other fine gems and manages the daily operations of the business.

Tom works in the Diamond District in New York City and is a source of new resources, which keeps Moses Jewelers on the cutting edge of the gem business.

The company started out with one employee and now has 12.

Each store features the Moses diamond, hand-selected for brilliance; antique and period jewelry, natural color gemstones, Rolex watches and other Swiss timepieces.

Moses Jewelers received the 2001 Business of the Year Award for small businesses sponsored by the Butler County Chamber of Commerce.