Date: February 15, 2009 | Story: Allison Cook |
For Jessica Graham, owner of Mae’s Emporium in Fayetteville, her love of antique jewelry grew from a childhood of flea market discoveries. “My grandmother and I enjoyed visiting flea markets and antique stores together, and I was always amazed at the wonderful things you could find,” she says. “Five years ago, I gave a friend a locket that I found and reworked. She got such a huge response from it, I began offering seasonal trunk shows of my finds.” Graham first showed her jewelry under the name Boss Mae, which originated from the history of one of the first lockets. “I purchased a locket from a woman’s estate, and it came with a note about its history. Her husband, who was called Boss, gave it to her on her 22nd birthday, the same day he was killed in a mill accident,” she says. “I was touched by the story, and originally called my company Boss Mae, which has been shortened to Mae’s. We became known for our Victorian lockets, but now have expanded our offerings to include all types and time periods of jewelry and even small gifts.”
Graham, along with Lynlee Critz and Emily Digby, travel as often as possible throughout the state and country hunting for the next great finds. “We’re very lucky that we’ve established relationships with people, especially in the northeast, who will send us jewelry that they know we’ll love,” Graham says. “We repair, clean and even remake the jewelry so that clients can wear them every day. Often times, an item will need to be deconstructed or even embellished. We’ll also replace, lengthen or shorten chains and layer items to create something modern that still retains its history.”
Feminine peach tones run through this selection of items, and Graham finds each one to be a favorite. “I especially love the Tiffany and Co. wedding band,” she says. “We have a lot of stackable wedding bands, and they really make a wonderful statement.” The team at Mae’s wants people of all ages to be able to find something special. “We have such a wide selection of item you can find a $1,000 locket next to a $15 brooch, mid-century plastic pieces next to diamonds and gold,” Graham says. “We buy what we want to wear, and the stories and history that come along with those pieces are added bonuses.”
