COEUR d’ALENE — One might not believe snow is good for the jewelry business.

But as far as Jane Clark is concerned, it’s the best thing for holiday sales.

“All this snow out there is a great sign,” said Clark, as snow poured down Monday morning. “It looks like we’re going to have a snowy season.”

Clark oversees operations at Clark’s Diamond Jewelers on Sherman Avenue in Coeur d'Alene, which is again bringing back its popular “Let It Snow” promotion.

If it snows at least 5 inches at the Spokane International Airport on Jan. 7, all purchases at Clark’s made between Nov. 19 and Dec. 31 will be entirely refunded.

Don't think it can happen? It has, twice, with the most recent in 2020.

“We’re hoping to do it again this year,” Clark said.

Coeur d'Alene Climatologist Cliff Harris said Jan. 7 was chosen because it's in the middle of a full moon cycle, which improves the chances of a big snowfall.

“It could happen,” Harris said.

It came close last year, when it was set for Jan. 11. Plenty of snow fell around that date, but not on it.

So, they moved it up a few days to improve the odds, and at the request of the jeweler's insurance carrier, bumped the snowfall total to 5 inches from last year's 4 inches, and 3 inches in 2020.

Clark added that there’s no other business she knows of where there’s even a possibility that the Christmas gift you buy could end up being free.

"Not just one person can win; everybody wins,” Clark said

The Let It Snow campaign adds a sense of wonder to the holiday season at Clark’s, an independent store that has been around since 1907 and is still at its original location, 307 Sherman Ave.

With each snowfall, hope builds.

To those who say they’re not lucky, Clark says, “It’s not your luck. It’s collective luck. I’m very lucky. It’s all of our luck.”

And in this case, luck pays.

More than three-quarters of a million dollars has been refunded in the two years when enough snow has fallen, with refunds from $25 to $30,000.

The promotion ran into a snafu three years ago when it offered refunds if it snowed more than 3 inches on Jan. 11, 2020, in Coeur d’Alene.

While Harris measured 3.6 inches of snow that day at his Player Drive home, the insurance company cited measurement data by another source that recorded 1.8 inches of snow, and initially declined to pay the claim.

But it later paid out an estimated $500,000.

The Spokane airport was selected as the measuring site last year and this year because it has the nearest official weather station to avoid any disputes over total snowfall.

Clark’s is having a special showing of gemstones Friday, with those purchases also qualifying for the Let It Snow campaign.

Clark said even though the promotion is in its 10th year, a misconception remains.

“People think we don’t want it to snow,” she said.

But the fine folks at Clark's do. The event is insured, so it’s not like Clark’s would be out all that money if it dumps the right amount of snow on the chosen date.

"Jeweler Jane" Clark says let it snow.

“We really want it to snow and refund everybody’s money,” she said. “We’re rooting for you. We’re trying to pick the most likely day and time."