COUTURE: What’s unique about your store?

Mary Margaret Beaver: One of the amazing things about the store is that I co-exist with an art gallery, Toshkova Fine Art. We’re not in business together, but we collaborate on events and the presence of the gallery adds to the allure and the cultural feeling you get when you walk in the store. There are ever-changing art exhibitions—they change every six weeks—and it has really contributed to the dynamism and colorful vibe of the space. The store is also located in an historic Tudor, freestanding house which is attractive from the road, and has a lot of meaningful sentiment to the people in the neighborhood. Our lounge area with a fireplace and sofa provides a great venue for collaborating with other small businesses, and as a space for meetings, seated dinners, cocktail parties, and just in general a great gathering place.

We’ve created a real sense of community throughout the store, which makes it more approachable; it’s like you’re walking into someone’s home. Even the way the cases are designed is not traditional, it’s not a jeweler standing behind the case separated from the client. I really wanted clients to feel like we’re navigating the store and experiencing the curation collaboratively. I wanted to remove the intimidation factor that a lot of people feel when walking into a traditional jewelry retail space, I want people to come in and browse without feeling pressure. Nothing warms my heart more than when someone walks in and expresses interest and admiration and has their own experience.

COUTURE: What COUTURE designers or brands are your clients really responding to lately and why?

MMB: Sorellina’s collection does great, they truly have so many best sellers. They appeal to a wide range of people with designs that feel unique, but still every day; their work is feminine with an edge.

Sylva & Cie. is a real stand out in the store as a unique collection that is just so beautifully made. Sylva is so passionate and hands on and it’s a fun collection to educate clients about; her passion runs through her pieces and extends to the people who are lucky enough to carry her line.

I can’t speak highly enough about Lauren Godfrey and her Harwell Godfrey collection. It’s so eye-catching and unique and it speaks to both men and women, which I didn’t expect. Her use of colors and geometric patterns establish a strong DNA that runs throughout her collection and makes it feel cohesive.

I just love Retrouvai’s tagline, “modern heirlooms.” I don’t carry vintage jewelry, but her collection has a throwback feel that gives it a special place in the curation of the store. She uses a lot of hand-carved gemstones and creates special pieces that are statement, but still feel every day. When women buy her jewelry, I can tell specifically what’s filling their jewelry love tank; her designs are so unique and help women express their individual personality and style.

Goshwara’s pieces shine so brilliantly in their case. She has beautiful, one-of-a-kind, gemmy, unusual pieces, and I just love her color stories. This is another collection that resonates with both men and women alike; you can tell it’s special just from looking at the craftsmanship and the beautiful choice of gemstones, and the breadth of this collection is astonishing!

Graziela has lots of go-to, best-selling pieces. Every store should have a line or pieces that are best-sellers, and Graziela has so many of those. Her dangling necklaces, her bullet pieces, it’s almost like jewelry that should be is everybody’s repertoire. These are piece collectors should have because they are so versatile, easy-to-wear and unique.

Anita Ko is newer to the store and everybody already loves it! It’s modern, yet timeless, both edgy and feminine, and she has created pieces that are very iconic to her brand with extensive collections that run off of each theme. Her jewelry appeals to many generations too, which is fantastic and unexpected. She also has really cool options for ear curation, which everybody wants right now.

Silvia Furmanovich has been one of those lines that have made me so excited and proud that I have it in my store! It’s exceptionally made, truly inspired and so unique; each of her pieces is a collector’s item. During the pandemic, when I was doing all my buys through line sheets, I wondered if it was too progressive, but it immediately resonated with almost all of my clients. You just immediately fall in love with her pieces, and Silvia is this magical, passionate person and it’s so much fun for me to talk about her legacy and history and who she is as a designer. It’s a real honor to be able to spread her story and introduce this collection to people that don’t know about it.

Nikos Koulis jewelry appeals to a sophisticated client who really appreciates beautifully hand-crafted jewelry and I absolutely love it. It’s so well-made, it feels so good to touch; it’s modern, but luxury and I just adore it.

I was one of the first people in the U.S. to pick up Bea Bongiasca. With my background in fine jewelry, I was initially hesitant to pick up a line that was considered “demi-fine,” but when I saw this collection I decided to make an exception and thank God I did! It is so fun, and the timing of getting this collection in store was perfect; it was during the height of the pandemic and people wanted an injection of levity, fun and color at price points that everyone felt comfortable with. It’s so fun to see people mixing in Bea with bigger diamond pieces, it’s not an either or anymore, and it’s a no-brainer way for people to add an element of playfulness to their jewelry wardrobe. She is such an interesting person and a true design talent, and I can’t wait to see what she does next.

MMB: Kid Cashew. It has great Mediterranean salads and sandwiches.

COUTURE: What’s the best restaurant for entertaining clients or out of town guests?

MMB: Hands down, Stagioni. It’s so cozy and cute and the food is amazing; it checks all the boxes! And it’s close to the store so it’s very convenient. Everybody I’ve taken there only wants to go there the next time they’re in town.

COUTURE: What’s the best bar in town for bellying up?

MMB: The Thirsty Beaver

COUTURE: Best spot in town for a fancy cocktail?

MMB: Dot dot dot…it’s a really cool speakeasy.

MMB: The Mint Museum is great. Also, Camp North End is really cool. They had the Van Goh exhibit and there are always events with small businesses related to the arts that pop up. Optimist Hall is a really cool food hall. Whitewater Center is something Charlotte has that no other place has. It is a U.S. Olympics practice facility and it offers hiking and rafting and all sorts of outdoor activities, as well as concerts and really good restaurants.

COUTURE: What is special about your town?

MMB: Charlotte is a smaller city but it has a big city feel. It has so much to offer that a big city would have, like major league sports teams, an international airport, a thriving downtown (which we call “uptown”) that’s integrated with all the neighborhoods. It’s really easy to navigate, it’s a great place to raise a family, and the weather is really good. So many people are moving her for all of these reasons.