Ron Wattsson loved Marquette, especially downtown Marquette. Combining that love with his experience in the jewelry business, his vision, and tireless enthusiasm, he opened
Wattsson and Wattsson Jewelers--where else?--in downtown Marquette, in 1985.
Purchasing the former Jupiter Variety store building along Washington Street, Wattsson not only oversaw its transformation, he worked hands-on with his employees, creating a shop that successfully combined a warm, homey atmosphere with the elegance of fine jewels and precious metals. True to Wattsson's love for all things local, the store specializes in jewelry made from metals and gems found in the Upper Peninsula.
Inspired by the exhibits he'd seen at Disneyland, Wattsson enlisted the help of his employees to build the shop's most distinct feature, a "gold mine," a project that took six months to complete. A small waterfall and pond marks the entrance, and its simulated rock walls feature displays of genuine historic mining gear and exhibits of local rocks and minerals.
The customer-friendly and fun-loving approach is one of the reasons the store has attracted local and national attention, including being voted into first place as
America's Coolest Store in 2004 by InStore magazine.
Wattsson's son, Chris, literally grew up in the jewelry store. His father began teaching him the trade when Chris was 11, and it was understood that someday Chris would take over and run the store.
Someday arrived abruptly in April 2010, when Ron Wattsson died unexpectedly at the age of 57.
"Trying to take over a new business, working through it in the public eye was a challenge," says Chris. "I was 20, and people looked at me like I didn't know what I'm doing."
Although it was a daunting task, Chris was determined to carry on his father's legacy. With the help of Wattsson and Wattsson's business manager, Kathy Greer, Chris not only kept his father's store going, he kept the business growing.
"We instantly made an insane amount of changes, put in new offices, a back deck. We're going to update the mine, make it more fun and touristy," he says.
Like his father, Chris's main interest is the hands-on aspect of the business.
"I've gone through lots of training for new jewelry repair techniques, like laser welding, which is more accurate and precise.
"There's still a lot for me to learn. It's been interesting," he says. "The only thing I really didn't know, though, was the business side."
He's definitely a quick study. Plans are under way to set up touch screen computers in the store to help customers find what they're looking for more easily, and in the past year the store's staff has increased from four to 10. Wattsson also recently relaunched the store's updated
website.
In keeping with his father's legacy, Wattsson is also seeking ways to give back to the community. He's hoping to schedule class tours of the store beginning this fall, and he hopes to work on projects with students at the Eastside Academy, Marquette's alternative high school, from which he graduated. He wants to keep the focus not only on gems and minerals, but the local history behind them.
Chris's sister Ruby Wattsson-Rhodes didn't initially share her father and brother's interest in the jewelry business. She began working at the store only four months before her father passed away.
"They had asked me to come and see if I'd take an interest in it, and I fell in love with it," she says.
Ruby is currently more than halfway through an online course on diamond grading offered by the Gemological Institute of America. The rigorous coursework will culminate in a three-week lab course, where Ruby's work will be scrutinized by GIA instructors.
"My favorite part of the business is the learning aspect of it," Ruby says. "And I love working with people."
Her biggest surprise when learning the family business was how much of the work takes place behind the scenes.
"There's a whole other world nobody else understands, the vendors, the networking," she says.
When asked what was the most important business wisdom he learned from his father, Chris Wattsson's answer doesn't involve dollars and cents.
"The biggest thing I noticed was that the employees and customers always came first. Employees are family. You want customers to feel like they're walking into their neighbor's house. You get them involved, get their ideas about new items," he says.
His favorite aspect of the business? "Fixing a piece someone has broken, seeing their reaction. We're giving them back a memory. That's what jewelry is about, making and keeping memories. Every special piece of jewelry a person owns has a memory connected to it," says Chris.
Ruby is certain her father would approve of his children's efforts to carry on his legacy. "He'd be stoked. It's gone far beyond what he would have expected," she says.
Deb Pascoe works as an editorial assistant and columnist for The Mining Journal in Marquette. "Life With a View," a collection of her favorite columns, is now available in local stores. She also has a blog.