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Jewelry Store History

Ron Ruback’s grandfather, a self-taught jeweler, opened a jewelry store in downtown Kansas City in 1908. Throughout high school, Ron worked at his grandfather’s store, where he began learning about diamonds. After graduating from college, Ron and his father opened a jewelry store in Kansas City’s historic Midland Theater building. Ron later opened a jewelry store (known as Ruback’s Jewelers) in Kansas City’s historic Muelbach Hotel. Later, Ron opened a jewelry store (known as Ruback’s Fine Jewelry) on Kansas City’s County Club Plaza. That store, designed by Tiffany and Company, was arguably the most luxurious jewelry store in the Kansas City area.

While Ron enjoyed serving locals and tourists alike at his jewelry store in Kansas City’s most exclusive shopping area, he eventually determined that the high rent of a beautiful jewelry store needed to be passed along to his jewelry and diamond customers. Ron concluded that, by dramatically cutting his expenses, he would be able to provide better value in selling jewelry and diamonds. And, by relying exclusively on Ruback family members, he would be able to provide even better customer service than jewelry stores employing commission-based salespeople. In 1993, Ron and his wife Patti opened Ruback and Company in Prairie Village, a Kansas City suburb. Since that time, Ruback and Company has operated out of the U.S. Bank building. Ron and Patti have been joined by their daughter, Robin Ruback Smith, a fourth-generation jeweler.

Many families have been shopping with the Ruback family for generations. Ron especially enjoys helping couples select 50-year anniversary presents. . . and hearing about how Ron's father helped design the engagement ring still being worn five decades later. The Ruback family also feels honored whenever a couple, still beaming about the engagement ring that Ron helped them select decades earlier, suggests that their son also seek Ron’s guidance in choosing a perfect diamond engagement ring.