Miles-Beamon Jewelry

About

Online retailer for fine and fashion jewelry located in Prince George's County, Maryland.

Description

Who is the visionary behind Miles Beamon Jewelry?

Mavis Beamon, owner and president, is the driving force behind Miles Beamon Jewelry. As a young girl growing up in a rural area in North Carolina, Beamon had aspirations of doing more with her life than the average person who grew up in that region of the state. After high school, she left her roots and traveled to New York in search of a more prosperous life for herself. She lived there four years and eventually settled in the Washington DC Metro Area. Upon her arrival in Washington, DC, she began her employment at a local department store. Eventually, she found her way to Potomac Electric Power Company (PEPCO) where she applied for an administrative position and was hired on the spot. While she was employed there, she moonlighted on the side and attended the local community college to increase her skill set. In 1995, Mavis decided she wanted to do something different. Because she always loved jewelry, she approached a co-worker about the jewelry business she started and then decided she would try her hand at it. So she began a small jewelry business on the side while still employed with PEPCO; she would often sell her wares to her co-workers at PEPCO and to her family and friends. In 2003, after 32 years of service and various positions within the company, Beamon retired from PEPCO.

Beamon’s vision for the online business developed as a result of a wholesale jewelry distributor she found online. Beamon says she is often ‘caught up’ in her jewelry catalogs because of the vast collection of jewelry that is available for purchase and resell. She puts her heart and soul into the pieces she purchases for her customers. She says “when I see their faces light up at a particular piece of jewelry—I get excited too.” Her patrons often say she has a good eye for fine jewelry, which continues to inspire her in this business. Beamon says her selections include a wide variety from the most exquisite to the unique pieces. She focuses on fine jewelry selections for the business because there are so many independent retailers for fashion jewelry. She says fine jewelry fits her personality better and this is why she enjoys the business and often finds herself lost in the pages between the dozens of catalogs she owns.

Beamon began designing jewelry as a result of one of the continuing education classes she was interested in taking at the local community college. She enrolled in a jewelry class to learn how to make beaded jewelry. From this point, she was fascinated by the idea of making jewelry for herself and others. The design for the jewelry she creates begins in her mind’s eye as she buys unique pieces for her online inventory; she says she is inspired by the beautiful jewelry she finds in her vendor catalogs. Beamon says her customers purchase both the fine jewelry and the high-end handcrafted jewelry she creates. Beamon continues to be inspired to sell and create jewelry because of the many people she has met over the years at jewelry shows. She finds that some of her customers continue to patronize her because of her quality merchandise and her ability to talk to anyone—even if the topic is not jewelry.

As a small business owner with no staff, Beamon has relied on the kindness of daughter Melissa, son-in-law Ron and friends from her church. Her special friend Connie helps her manage the numerous jewelry shows she attends each year. Beamon says there were many shows were she did not have any sales and her friend Connie would tell her she did not need to pay her for her time. Because of Connie’s friendship with Beamon, she has donated her time to Miles-Beamon Jewelry in order to help the business succeed. Beamon says she will always value Connie’s friendship, and she will definitely be a part of Miles-Beamon Jewelry in the future.

Beamon’s vision for her online business is to leave a legacy for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She wants the Miles Beamon Jewelry name to live on long after she has retired.