165 EAST CALIFORNIA STREET

“With a 1908 vintage motorcycle on the wall, I guess you could say we’re not your traditional jewelry store,” says The Crown Jewel co-owner Jason Robison. “But we’re not simply out to offer the unusual—we’re here to have fun and do things with meaning.” In fact, the store’s slogan is ‘Jewelry and Gifts With Meaning.’ “By having that as our compass, we’re led to a wide variety of meaningful products that you wouldn’t otherwise run across.” From locally-made jewelry, to star lights made by a women’s cooperative, or to giving 10% of profits to charities this Christmas season, Jason and his wife Anne’s goal is to bring meaning and value to their shop.

Part of that meaning is on display in their case dedicated to vintage jewelry. “I’ve been under the spell of Jacksonville’s historic charm since the first time I visited,” Jason says, and The Crown Jewel’s historic 1850 building at 165 E California Street provides the perfect backdrop for older, unique fine jewelry. Being in a small town where there’s time to connect with customers perfectly fits the “with meaning” part of the shop’s slogan. “Jewelry may seem like the most material, tangible thing you can imagine. But actually, I know it’s just the opposite,” Jason says. “At its essence, jewelry is symbolic and personal. People purchase it at a specific time in their lives. It becomes something they attach memories to, and I don’t know if there’s anything more powerful than that. So when I’m working on someone’s treasure, I always think, ‘This is more than the sum of its parts.'”

For the Christmas season, in addition to stocking stuffers of all kinds, The Crown Jewel is carrying a clever variation on the traditional Advent Calendar. “They’re three-dimensional, like trees, that you hang little animals on every day rather than opening a window,” Jason says. “I’ve never see anything like them before.

“We want purchases made at our store to bring joy to our customers and our town, especially at this time of year,” he adds. “We’re community-minded in our approach to everything. We carry over twenty local artists’ work, in addition to other regional and US artists. We love having this opportunity to make an impact on our community.” The Crown Jewel is fulfilling that opportunity, too, by funding a Live Your Dream scholarship given to an outstanding local woman, in partnership with the Soroptimists of the Rogue Valley. In fact, The Crown Jewel pledges to donate 10% of their 2017 fourth-quarter profits to organizations lifting-up and supporting women. You can learn details about their Giving Meaning Campaign on their website at www.thecrownjewel.net.