The 32nd edition of an Elgin-themed Christmas ornament being sold this year by Shockey Jewelers will be its last, the Elgin store’s owner has announced. Fittingly, it features an image of the store itself, a downtown staple since 1977.
Peter Shockey said the timing felt right to wind down the series, which started in 1996 with an ornament depicting St. John’s Lutheran Church, the Elgin Watch Tower, and the Old Main building. Over the years, the ornaments have celebrated iconic Elgin buildings, scenes from the city’s past, and historic events like the Song of Hiawatha Pageant and the Elgin Road Races.
For both the 2010 and 2011 holiday seasons, the store sold two ornaments—one featuring a building and the other an event.
The idea to sell a holiday ornament was inspired by something Peter Shockey, his wife Lisa, and his late father Russell saw at a trade show in Chicago. This led them to Massachusetts-based Hestia Creations, which has been designing and producing the collectible ornaments made from resin and marble dust for the last 29 years, Shockey said.
“We thought we would be one and done,” he said. “It wound up being so popular that we decided to continue it as a series, with each featuring a different building or event.”
The initial run for the first three ornaments was 1,000 each. With their success—particularly with the 1997 ornament depicting the old lagoon skating rink at Lords Park—production was increased to 2,500.
“So many people have memories of skating at Lords Park. We could have sold 10,000 of that one,” Shockey said.
Personal nostalgia has been a key selling point over the years. Store manager Andrea Burzlaff noted that the 2005 ornament featuring the School District U-46 planetarium and observatory reminded many people of Donald Tuttle, who ran it from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s.
Additionally, those who now live in the restored Tower Building—an art deco structure built in 1929 and converted into apartments in 2017—love the 2002 ornament that celebrated it, she said.
Many collectors have created displays with their ornaments that they keep up all year. The store maintains a backstock supply of most of the ornaments they’ve had made.
Ideas for what to feature have come from employees, customers, and by looking through Elgin history books, including those written by the late Elgin Mayor Mike Aft.
“Until he passed away (in 2018), my dad would draw the featured building, and the company would use that for the design,” Shockey said. He also provides Hestia Creations with copies of old photos to use as prototypes for creating the ornaments.
The price for the 2025 gift-boxed ornament is $28.95. It can be purchased at the store located at 18 Douglas Ave. or by calling 847-742-0113.
All of the ornaments over the years can be viewed online at [shockeyjewelers.com/elgin-ornament.html](https://shockeyjewelers.com/elgin-ornament.html).
*Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.*
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/07/elgin-christmas-ornament-shockey-jewelers/