Mike Wolanin | The Republic Cindy Yeaton, right, helps Kelly Bigler check her ring size as she picks out gifts for herself and her mom at Max’s Jewelry in Columbus, Ind., Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. Owner Steve Carothers has announced that he is retiring and closing the store.
Mike Wolanin | The Republic Cindy Yeaton, right, helps Kelly Bigler check her ring size as she picks out gifts for herself and her mom at Max’s Jewelry in Columbus, Ind., Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. Owner Steve Carothers has announced that he is retiring and closing the store.
A staple of downtown Columbus announced they will soon be closing their doors after more than 50 years in business.
Max’s Jewelry, located at 401 Washington St, plans to close early in 2026 as its owner, Steve Carothers, will be retiring.
“My business is still great and I enjoy it, but I just want to have some time off to do things,” Steve said.
Max Carothers opened the business in 1972 and operated it until he passed away in 2014. His sons Steve and David then took over the business, with David retiring about six years ago and Steve obtaining it from him. The store sells a variety of jewelry including earrings, necklaces and rings in addition to pottery-like vases and plates.
Business has only grown over the years and they have gotten many new customers each year, Steve said. But as he has gotten older, he has thought about retiring for a couple of years now, and he believes now is the time to do so.
“(I) don’t really have a lot of plans, just want to travel and do some different things,” “No real great plans, just my wife and I can have time to travel.”
He said he isn’t sure when exactly the last day will be, but it will most likely be open through January, he said.
“Before I thought, ‘well, maybe even through spring,’ but I don’t see it,” he said. “Our business has been really good and I’m happy, but I don’t see us being here that long, through say April, May. So I’d say probably January, for sure.”
Many of the business’s customers and employees have expressed sadness to see the location close. Columbus resident Kelly Bigler visited the shop Thursday to purchase a ring for her birthday, but she also ended up leaving with a heart necklace for her mother.
“It was something I wasn’t coming in to look for, but I saw it and thought of her and she is a big part of my life and really helpful with my family and my kids. We both love hearts so I just couldn’t pass it up because it just looked like her when I saw it,” Bigler said.
Bigler saw that Steve was retiring in a Facebook group she’s in. She has had rings repaired by them and her wedding ring came from Max’s, so when she saw the announcement, she had to come in. Though she isn’t sure where to go now for jewelry, she understands Steve wanting to retire.
“It’s sad,” Bigler said. “I love to see these established local businesses and I know it’s been an establishment for a long, long time and I think there’s something really special about being able to go into a jewelry store and look…. The art of jewelry making and jewelers, I think that’s so cool and having that here locally is really neat.”
As his family owns the building and location, Steve said they will decide what happens to it, but he personally would like to see retail go into the space. He said he’s always enjoyed working with and operating Max’s Jewelry throughout its 53-year history, saying he has gotten to work alongside his family and his wife Carrie.
Even though a lot has changed downtown in that period and many businesses have come and gone, he said Max’s Jewelry has only increased in customers. Like his customers, he’s a little sad to see the business close too.
“I’d like to thank everybody in Columbus for supporting us all these years, for supporting my family and business,” Steve said. “I can’t really remember any bad times. As far as customers, we’ve always had great customers.”
