By reporter Steven Smalley
With the expansion of Windermere Real Estate into the offices previously occupied by Magnolia Travel, transformations alter the three-story Building-Without-a-Name in the Village. Check out Windermere?s bright new sign in front to see how things are progressing.
As always, change is inevitable, unless you?re Annie Pond, long-time building tenant and owner of Magnolia Custom Jewelry. She hums along making wearable art, for one person at a time ? just the way she likes It ? without a physical alteration in sight.
For the last 22 years Pond has been the neighborhood?s lone jeweler who designs, repairs, and sells some mighty fine pieces.
?It?s primarily custom design jewelry that people come in for,? Pond explains. ?They can?t necessarily find something that?s mass produced.?
Perhaps a touch difficult to locate (3214 West McGraw Street), you may have noticed her little space if you walked past it on the way to the Magnolia Mailbox which is located just across the hall. Pond usually sits in the front section of the office with her head barely visible above the high desk that greets customers. A peek through the window reveals a kind face and a warm smile.
?We?re right at the end of the hallway,? she says during a recent visit by Magnolia Voice.
A big downtown jewelry store this is not ? nor does she want it to be. Although, friendly she is.
So, how does a woman from Centralia receive her initial exposure working with gold and precious gems?
?I got started in high school,? she reveals. ?They had an art class. From there I helped out in a local jewelry store.?
Around the world of jewelry she then traveled, from retail and manufacturing, to repair, which gave her myriad skills to turn sketches into masterworks. But it?s the human touch that sets her apart.
?Annie does great work. And I?m so happy about the jewelry I bought from her,? confesses Mary Kay Brown, a Magnolia resident who happened by the shop. ?From the first time you meet her, everybody loves Annie. And they always come back.?
Pond emphasizes, ?You want to trust someone with your possessions that mean the most to you. Jewelry is emotional. I absolutely love every aspect of it.?
Located behind the partition in the back is the workshop where the magic happens; where it all comes together.
?Nothing gets sent out to another jewelry store,? Pond explains. ?I do everything myself.?
Beginning with a design on paper, a wax impression is made which leads to the final piece.
?I want to take that and turn it into something spectacular that they will love,? she says. And if a special diamond or colored stone is requested, but not on hand, ?I could get that for you. The sky?s the limit ? diamonds, rubies, to emeralds to sapphires.?
?Let?s be honest, nobody wants to drive downtown,? Pond says. ?You don?t have to, I am right here in Magnolia.?
With Valentine’s Day coming up, a stop in the Village to meet Annie might be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.