Community Profile on Deborah Wishon by Luke Vith
In the deafening silence of early morning, Deborah Wishon unlocks her jewelry vault door and scans over the valuable merchandise of innumerable colors. Lights gleam off brightly colored bracelets, earrings, rings- and necklaces, as she slowly removes the objects and sets them into glass-protected display cases throughout her small store, Deva Fine Jewelry. The care and precision of this daily ritual allows her mind to be cleared before the hectic pace of the day begins.
“I just try to keep my head above water,” Wishon said.
Working in Winston-Salem as a jeweler in the business for over 20 years, she knows every day is full of surprises. Running her own business, often with only one or two employees, she is busy greeting customers and taking requests as soon as her shop opens. The store is filled with a wide range of individuals, from young women looking for a new ring to clueless husbands in search of the perfect necklace for their wives birthday. The jewelry she creates is often considered art by her customers rather than fashion. Countless raving reviews on the Deva Fine Jewelry Facebook page along with consistently high ratings prove that the beauty in her work is unique and personal. This artistry is something she longed for since she was a young girl.
This isn’t how life always was for Wishon.
A 1976 graduate of Appalachian State, Wishon started her professional career in the airline business. “I enjoyed talking and meeting new people,” she said. “I needed an interactive job.”
The one drawback, however, was that she missed beauty in this environment.
Being an artistic, hands-on person who loved the beautiful things life has to offer, Wishon left the industry, went to school for jewelry in Santa Clara, Cali., for one year and made the transition to become a jeweler.
“It was an easy choice for me,” she said. “I always felt inclined to use my hands.”
Her new profession allowed her to do just that.
Nowadays you can find Wishon sitting behind her crafting desk diligently using forming tools and torches with the simple goal of making someone’s day. The art of crafting is something personal she believes. “The best part of my day is showing my customer their newly fixed or crafted piece and seeing the smile on their face,” Wishon said. This joy is something that not all people get to embrace on an everyday basis.
This enjoyment she gets from others keeps her spirits high when she is forced to get to the gritty parts of her job. Owning this business means she must decide the marketing of her product, how much inventory to hold, and the amount of material she needs for each season.
“It’s difficult running all facets of my business. Especially in today’s internet age,” Wishon said.
One of the biggest difficulties she has come into during her career is the internet. With the accessibility and simplicity that comes along with online purchases she has been forced to find her own niche within the industry.
“I think that the in person experience is important when it comes to expressing exactly what you want in your jewelry,” said Jocelyn Chamber, a customer of Wishon’s. It’s this personable touch that leads to customers returning consistently to Deva Fine Jewelery.
Nonetheless Wishon’s day doesn’t pass without its tough moments. “Being a woman in this industry is actually more of a rarity than people think,” Wishon said. In a graduating class of 17, she was one of two females.
“I’ll have a man come into my store looking for a piece for his wife and refuse to cooperate with me because he wants advice from another man,” Wishon explained.
This issue is something she sees more frequently than she wishes. Unfortunately she will often see these men leave to go obtain information from a store with men working in it along with women. “It’s just something you have to deal with and move on from,” she said.
She wants to see more women get into the industry. She thinks she knows how to start this as well.
“Get yourself known,” Wishon said.. This is something she has excelled at in her local community and wants to continue to do in order to encourage other women to start their own businesses. She believes that this idea can be applied not only to the jewelry industry, but all areas of business.
Marketing and charity events is something that Wishon has been participating in since opening her shop. Often times appearing at the Women’s Counsil, Habitat for Humanity, the Art Council and many more places she continues to stress community involvement.
“Some weeks I’ll give away as much as I sell,” Wishon said. She believes that jewelry has the ability to lift one’s spirits and evoke a sense of pride in everyone. This is why she can often be found donating jewelry to those less fortunate. This practice of giving back to the community is something she hopes to spread.
“When wealthier individuals can donate and help those less fortunate, everyone is better off,” she said. This type of positive mindset helps in her daily work as well.
“The job she did fixing my ring almost brought tears to my eyes when I saw it,” said Michelle Anderson who brought her grandmother’s ring into the shop one day. Wanting it resized and a few gems added, the ring became a masterpiece after the work from Wishon.
“This is why I do my job,” Wishon said. “It allows me to connect to people on a personal level and that’s all I can ask for.”
At closing time, when the sun begins to set, Wishon can be seen using the same care as when she brought the jewelry out. “Whenever I close the vault door,” she said, “I take a second to look over my pieces and realize how lucky I am to see such beauty everyday.”
