There is one highly specialized laser welder in Roanoke that is not found in a machine shop or at a construction site, but is carefully ensconced in what might seem an unlikely location – Jewells Fine Jewelry on Franklin Road. It is an expensive and revolutionary piece of equipment that is redefining the art of jewelry repair. It is perhaps fitting that it resides at Jewells, as the store has a strong reputation of working to make their customers feel like royalty by providing outstanding merchandise and service. But what really makes the store an attraction, and causes customers to keep coming back, is the relationship they have with the store’s staff.
Owner Katharine Wells, who has lived in Roanoke “forever,” has been in the jewelry business since she was 15 years old and started working for a local jeweler. She first handled small tasks such as replacing watch batteries and stringing gold beads, back when they were all the rage. She learned to size rings, solder chains, and eventually travelled to take GIA (Gemological Institute of America) classes until she was able to do all repair work – becoming a full-fledged bench jeweler. After marrying and having children, Wells spent many years doing jewelry repair work out of her home
Store Manager Marie Pugh, who has worked at Jewell’s for almost three years, is warm and welcoming to everyone who comes in, whether they are there to look at merchandise or just to stop in to say hello. She is quick to give Wells the credit for the business’ ability to grow, especially during the last few years of a tough economy: “I think Katharine adds such a personal touch. She wants everyone to be perfectly happy and if they’re not, she’ll make them happy
When Wells was able to pursue her dream of starting a jewelry business, she originally opened a location on Brandon Avenue on a small budget but with a lot of determination, and the help of friends who helped decorate and furnish the shop. About a year later, while shopping for a safe, Wells found one for sale in the store’s current location. She asked the landlord to hold it as she needed to make arrangements with movers to relocate the safe to her shop. Jokingly, she told him that she could avoid all the hassle of moving the heavy safe and just “rent the space [which was open] instead.” He responded that since she owned the safe, he’d give her first dibs. Wells called her husband right away, who didn’t hesitate when he said “I’d rather move the store than the safe.” The end result was a decision to move which “was a fluke really.”
After moving to the current location in 2004, Wells was later able to double the square footage when a neighboring tenant moved out. The store was completely renovated and updated two years ago to its current fresh and open floor plan.
Wells isn’t exactly comfortable taking credit for her business’s success; she is adamant that it is a shared effort. She calls the store’s Jeweler, Paul Ware, “the star of the show. There is nothing he can’t do.” They originally met through a mutual friend and she knew he was the right one for the store. She says that it was hard asking someone to join in a new business which wasn’t completely established, and she didn’t want to pressure him, but once he joined the business, neither has looked back.
They both share the same philosophy about running a business – they believe in total integrity and treating customers as they would want to be treated. He adds that it was Wells, and her personality that won him over to join the business; “I knew she was going to be successful.”
Ware, who also waits on customers, says that is one of the unique things that Jewells offers. According to Ware, “I can come out of the back, and talk about the repair; in many other stores, the jeweler is inaccessible – they are in the basement or a loft somewhere.” He points out that it makes the whole process a lot easier in the end
Ware is a big fan of the technology he works with. He says, “I can repair or weld a ring while holding the ring in my hands. The biggest advantage is that I can do a job that even after 30 years of expertise I couldn’t do – mostly because of the heat a torch would use.” The state of the art laser welder means that they can also now repair costume jewelry, “your Grandma’s jewelry – even sterling silver with stones can be repaired.” They routinely fix several pairs of metal eyeglasses a week that previously had to be thrown out and replaced.
The family atmosphere at Jewells complements the professional service they are committed to… but it is the family emphasis that makes the place. Wells gets a bit emotional when relaying that she has been in the business long enough to be serving the next generation — daughters of some of her customers. Every now and then, a daughter has brought in a piece of her mother’s (now deceased) that Wells can remember making for that mom. That shared moment is what it’s all about.
Jewells is located at 3741 Franklin Road, SW. Hours are M-F 10-6; Sat. 10-4
Call 540-345-3564 or visit jewellsfinejewelry.com for more information.
By Cheryl Hodges [email protected]
