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Welch House Gems
Welch House Gems reflects the decades of study and collecting of owner David Mason, with jewelry containing semi-precious stones designed by his wife, Martha, the goldsmith work of his son, Andrew Mason, and prices below retail for an extravagant variety of gems. "I've been studying and collecting gems for 40 years," David said. He is a member of Gemological Institute of America, through which he has taken many courses. He has also taken courses in jewelry design at the Worcester Center for Crafts. While his route to Welch House Gems has been circuitous - David studied food service, worked in hotels in New York City, sold shirts for Arrow, owned his own office equipment business and ran a bed-and-breakfast inn in Maine - but he has never stopped collecting and studying gems. The inn, the Welch House in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, was where he began displaying his gems and jewelry. Later, he operated a booth at the Black Lion, a former consortium of artists and crafters, in Westborough. A longtime Northborough resident, David was waiting for the right spot to open a shop of his own. He found it on South Street, Westborough, just blocks from the new Bay State Commons. "I've always loved this location," he said. "Nine hundred square feet is perfect for me." The shop includes a work area for setting stones, jewelry repair and his son's goldsmith work. In the two months he's been open, he's seen people he knows from his days at the Black Lion. Welch House Gems off ers a glittering array of gems, from a 4-carat black diamond to a 85-carat star sapphire. And they come at a price that is well below retail. With his long connection to the gem world and the Internet, David said, he can get almost any gem someone wants within a day. He also has access to conflict-free diamonds. For settings, David uses Stuller, the largest supplier of findings and castings. Again, because he buys direct, he can pass savings on to the customer. Welch House Gems also buys and sells estate jewelry. David uses those pieces not only as sales items, but as inspiration. He sometimes takes estate jewelry and replaces existing glass or semi-precious stones with something more colorful and more valuable. The collection of gems, gem-set jewelry, semi-precious jewelry and estate jewelry makes Welch House Gems a colorful place to shop. And if you catch the shopkeeper with some time on his hands, you'll get a lesson in gems from an expert. Welch House Gem is located at 21 South St., Westborough. Editor's Note: the preceding is not an endorsement and is presented for informational purposes only. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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