LAS CRUCES, NM, September 11, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present Keith Austin with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Mr. Austin celebrates many years' experience in his professional network and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Mr. Austin's distinguished career in the fine jewelry industry spans more than 45 years, marked by a series of entrepreneurial milestones and a steadfast commitment to his field. Since 1988, he has served as the owner of Austin's Fine Jewelry in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where he continues to operate the business with dedication and vision. Over more than 35 years, Mr. Austin has built Austin's Fine Jewelry into the largest jewelry store in the city, distinguishing himself as an expert in fine jewelry and appraisal work. He is recognized for developing a robust inventory of both new and pre-owned pieces, and for pioneering trade-in services that allow customers to exchange their unused jewelry for items of greater personal value.

As the building's owner since 1993, Mr. Austin undertook significant renovations to establish a welcoming and secure environment for his clientele. To finance these improvements, he sold two major personal collections, one of which was a collection of New Mexico bottles dating from the 1880s to the 1940s, and another that included an extensive collection of date nails once used in railroad construction. Mr. Austin's date nail collection was regarded as the largest ever assembled, featuring an elaborate traveling display that garnered attention at shows across the region.

A defining feature of Austin's Fine Jewelry is Mr. Austin's ring museum, which sets his establishment apart from others in the industry. Inspired by a customer's donation of a 1926 Las Cruces High School class ring, he began collecting rings from around the world. In 2015, he dedicated two rooms within his store to house this unique collection, which now includes between 8,000 and 10,000 rings spanning various eras and cultures. The museum showcases about 40% of Mr. Austin's holdings at any given time and is secured each night behind an antique vault door.

Before launching Austin's Fine Jewelry, Mr. Austin had an antique business and managed jewelry repairs for friends while completing correspondence courses in gemology over three and a half years. This period was instrumental in shaping his expertise and approach to business ownership. Before embarking on his journey as a business owner, Mr. Austin spent nearly a decade as the manager of Glenn Cutter's Jewelry Store in Las Cruces from 1980 to 1988. Mr. Austin's first entrepreneurial venture was a gift shop he operated from 1982 to 1983. Despite its closure due to economic downturns in Hobbs, New Mexico, this experience provided valuable lessons that informed his future successes. Mr. Austin's professional journey began much earlier at Sears Roebuck in Alamogordo, New Mexico, where he started working at age 19. After participating in a management training program, he became a store manager on his 21st birthday in 1967 and held this position until 1982, managing multiple stores across Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. Mr. Austin's path into retail at Sears Roebuck was unexpected, where he discovered an affinity for sales management through hands-on learning rather than traditional classroom instruction. This practical approach laid the foundation for his later achievements as a business owner and industry expert.

Mr. Austin's educational journey has been shaped by both formal schooling and life experiences. Despite facing challenges with dyslexia that made reading-intensive subjects difficult, he excelled in mathematics and art during his early academic years. He ranked third in his high school class and entered college on an early admission scholarship at age 16 but left after realizing that his social life was impacting his studies. Mr. Austin credits these formative experiences and the lessons learned from setbacks with teaching him the importance of pursuing one's passions wholeheartedly.

Civic engagement has also played an important role in Mr. Austin's life. He served for seven years on the board of Mesilla Valley Hospice and remains deeply involved with their fundraising initiatives. In fact, he recently organized a major project for the hospice involving the sale of donated jewelry from an estate bequest. Over several months, Mr. Austin coordinated volunteers to clean, polish and prepare items for sale, ultimately raising over $57,000 for the organization through both direct sales and scrapping precious metals. His ongoing support extends to refurbishing donated watches for resale.

Throughout his career, Mr. Austin has demonstrated remarkable adaptability and innovation within the jewelry sector. His expertise as a gemologist enables him to offer custom work, appraisals and creative trade-in solutions that transform clients' experiences with their jewelry. He is particularly proud of fostering an environment where customers can update or repurpose sentimental pieces into something new and meaningful.

In recognition of his contributions to the community and excellence in business, Mr. Austin received Bulletin's Best of the Mesilla Valley award in 2025. Looking ahead, he intends to gradually reduce his work schedule while maintaining active involvement with Austin's Fine Jewelry, a testament to his enduring passion for both his profession and community service.

# # #