A Community Gem
by Thomas Lee | Photo by Danielle De Angelis on Pexels
Improving the community through philanthropy and fine jewelry, JWR Jewelers is celebrating 30 years of service in Athens. John W. Reed first opened his small jewelry store in 1993, and has expertly transformed it into a respected multi-brand retailer. His legacy continues to shine through his wife, Patti Reed, who is continuing her husband’s legacy. To celebrate this professional milestone, JWR will be hosting weekly charity events from the end of August through September.
JWR is partnering with Crumbl Cookies to donate 300 cookies as incentive gifts to Clarke Middle School. A food drive for Athens Emergency Food Bank will be hosted the week of Labor day, with each donation counting as an entry into a drawing for prizes. For their anniversary on September 23 they are partnering with The Cancer Foundation to celebrate 30 years of John’s dream, where people can share their memories of John and donate to the cause.
Patti remains active in many philanthropies such as The Cancer Foundation, Jeannette Rankin Foundation and Shepherd’s Men, to name a few.
“The community has been incredibly supportive of us and we love to be able to give back,” says Patti.
When first opening for business, one of John’s biggest missions was to earn a place in the American Gem Society (AGS), which is known to have high expectations and requirements for its members. John did not just make the cut for AGS, but he also earned a place in the Independent Jewelers Organization (IJO) and the Georgia Jewelers Association (GJA).
“They’re big movers and shakers in the jewelry industry … so being involved in those professional organizations has been an important part of our business,” says Patti. John served as president of the GJA, and now another member of JWR, Tony Cruz, resides in that position.
It was John’s love for his job that Patti and her team of jewelers carry with them. Helping people find the right piece of jewelry was how he expressed that love. “We deal with beautiful things all the time and he loved sharing that … it doesn’t matter if someone is coming in for a watch battery or someone is looking at a diamond engagement ring … his mission was to make everybody feel welcomed and become everybody’s hometown jeweler,” says Patti.
The team of jewelers at JWR have been together for quite some time now, making them more like family while accumulating an enormous amount of experience. What seems to be an impossible number to calculate, Patti estimates that they earned a combined 150 to 175 years of professional experience.
With three decades of service in the Athens community, Patti is excited about the anniversary and looks forward to another successful year. “Our last two years were extremely strong, and this year is strong as well, so we are just looking forward to more growth in the business,” says Patti.