THE CULTUR E
Style
GEMS & JEWELS
A Q&A with the talented Meredith Jackson about her beautiful jewelry boutique. interview ANNIE GIBBS Meredith Jackson has lived all over—from Louisiana to Oklahoma to California and London. It was in Europe that her love of all things old and filled with history and character took hold. As she searched through junk to pull out little trinkets and treasure at the famous Portobello Market in Notting Hill, a deep curiosity with jewelry began. Her first teacher was a Russian dealer who taught Meredith which stones and jewels were a good buy and which were not. And so Meredith Jackson Jewelry was born. A decade ago, Meredith picked a place on a map and found herself in Charlotte, North Carolina. “I knew I had to work for myself if I was going to make any money,” Meredith says. “It was going to be something creative, so I decided that jewelry had that most instant gratification and I would regret not giving it a try.”
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photos courtesy JAMEY PRICE What is it about jewelry that speaks to you? To me jewelry should be timeless for many reasons. It should tell a story, finish an outfit, mark an occasion, become a family heirloom or just be downright fun to put on because it makes a girl feel pretty. I always ask customers, “what are your jewelry wardrobe holes?” This is important because women and men spend a lot of money on clothing which gets replaced. Jewelry can last forever. Stone and metals come from the earth and were here before we were and will be here long after we are gone. That’s what makes jewelry special. Tell us about the boutique. I opened the boutique in 2012. Nolan Joyce and I design and buy for the store together. We carry designers from all over the US and Canada, in