Spotlight on Windham Jewelers - By Michelle Libby

Sparkling diamonds, brilliant emeralds and unique pieces of jewelry are all on display and for sale at Windham Jewelers located in the mall at 765 Roosevelt Trail suite 16. For 41 years the Byrnes family, and now daughter Kathleen and her husband Abe Wilmot, have been in the jewelry business. Thirty of those years have been in Windham. 
 

“We’re a small, little, comfortable jewelry store with a big heart,” said Kathleen, who took over the store in February. “Generations of families have walked in here.” 

“We have everything, a large selection of fine quality jewelry stemming from fine quality designers to a large assortment of gemstones. Our inventory of diamonds is incredible and goes up to five carats,” said Kathleen. The store also carries a unique blend of estate and antique jewelry as well as pearls. 

Just selling eclectic pieces isn’t the way of Windham Jewelers. They have the hottest designers and jewelry lines including the trends that everyone is after. Their selection of Alex & Ani, a compassionate company from Rhode Island that uses recycled material for their bracelets and charms, rivals other distributers. Windham Jewelers also carries a wide selection of Pandora bracelets and charms that keep up with the trends. 

“If we don’t have it, you don’t need it,” said employee Melissa Roszka. 

A few of the pieces in the store date back over 100 years. 

Kathleen attends jewelry shows and is constantly educating herself on the newest designers and what would do well in this market, she said. They also carry a selection of local Maine jewelry artist pieces. Other designers who have collections at the store are Peter James by the Bay, Cape Cod Bracelets, Larimar, Ed Levin and pre-owned David Yurman. They also carry the Citizen watch line. 

If none of the jewels in the store catches the buyer’s eye, Windham Jewelers has an onsite jeweler, Kathy Cole, who can reset, design or retrofit jewelry already in someone’s collection. Cole also does engraving. Her quality work makes Windham Jewelers a “full circle kind of jewelers,” according to Kathleen.

“Your independent jeweler is homey,” said Cole. “It’s just wonderful. I can take time to do the job that needs to be done. I’m a meticulous person,” she said. Cole has been a jeweler for 34 years.

“We know how important it is to take care of your pieces,” Kathleen said. 

Customers are local and family centered, she said. “It’s like they’re all family to us.” 

“We laugh and cry together,” said Roszka. 

Abe Wilmot does appraisals, purchases gold and works on the computer and technical end of the business. Kathleen also helps to compile wish lists for husbands to use when shopping for jewelry. “Come in, try it on. Jewelry is like shoes,” she said. 

The next 10 years? “We’re going to do the same thing we’ve been doing the last 30 years,” Abe said.

Windham Jewelers offers exceptional customer service and encourages everyone to stop by and see what they have that might fit you.

Pictures:

The crown tourmaline is set in 18 carat yellow gold. 

Windham Jewelers showcases an approximately 20 carat aquamarine stone set in platinum.

Kathleen Wilmot, Abe Wilmot, Kathy Cole, Melissa Roszak and Callie Conley are some of the seven employees who work at Windham Jewelers.