Five Things I Know For Sure: Kelly Williams

Published

10 years ago

March 17, 2015

Kelly Williams

K.W. Goldsmith, Minneapolis, MN

This article originally appeared in the April 2015 edition of INSTORE.

When Kelly Williams graduated college with a degree in fine art in 1995 and a jewelry apprenticeship, she became hooked on metalwork almost immediately, moving on to work as a designer goldsmith and to study at top trade schools. In 2010, she became sole proprietor of K.W. Goldsmith, a full-service custom trade shop. In that role, she’s also the goldsmith for half a dozen retail stores. In 2012 she launched her own line of cowgirl jewelry, Whiplash Designs. — Eileen McClelland

1
Inspiration will strike whenever I least expect it, so I always have a sketchbook handy. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten up in the middle of the night to sketch an idea I just had.

2 Take care of your tools and they will take care of you. Any time you invest in tools, it’s always a good investment. If it makes your job more efficient and saves you from frustration, it’s always a great purchase.

3 Coffee makes everything better.

4 A goldsmith must pay attention to detail. Not only when you’re creating a piece — to make sure everything fits together and is functional — but also, attention to what the client wants. Sometimes you have to read between the lines to understand what they are trying to communicate. They come to you with a vague idea; they have something pictured and you have something pictured and you have to get the two pictures to match up, to figure out a design that will be functional and durable and still what they are visualizing.

5 Nothing goes 100 percent according to plan. Always have a backup plan, a plan B and a plan C.

You Wouldn’t Cut Your Own Hair. Why Run Your Own Retirement Sale?

After being in business for over a quarter of a century, Wayne Reid, owner of Wayne Jewelers in Wayne, Pennsylvania, decided it was time for a little “me time.” He says, “I’ve reached a point in my life where it’s time to slow down, enjoy a lot of things outside of the jewelry industry. It just seemed to be the right time.” He chose Wilkerson to handle his retirement sale because of their reputation and results. With financial goals exceeded, Reid says he made the right choice selecting Wilkerson to handle the sale. “They made every effort to push our jewelry to the forefront of the showcases,” he says, lauding Wilkerson for their finesse and expertise. Would he recommend them to other jewelers who want to make room for new merchandise, expand their business or like him, decide to call it a day? Absolutely he says, equating trying to do this kind of sale with cutting your own hair. “The results are going to happen but not as well as if you have a professional like Wilkerson do the job for you.”