May 2023
When Jason and Anne Robison moved to Ashland from Seattle in 2001, their goal was to open “a unique and inviting jewelry store while selling things that have meaning behind them.” With The Crown Jewel (266 E. Main in Ashland and 165 E. California in Jacksonville), they have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams.
You can trace this inspiration to the 5th grade for Jason and grad school for Anne.
“In 5th grade I learned to cast lead figures in molds poured in Dixie cups,” Jason said. “Thus began a lifelong passion for creating art, crafting, and shaping things; or did this crazy idea come from the lead exposure? Jewelry keeps my childlike love of learning alive since there’s always something new to learn about the craft of jewelry, gemstones, art, or its history.”
Anne on the other hand is a genuine grown-up with a Master’s degree in Medieval Art History.
“Maybe you can figure out which one of us keeps the business on track,” she said with a smile. “I combine my passion for art in working with jewelry artists with monkish discipline while managing the books. We both agree that part of the fun is wearing many hats—something owning a small business allows and something all too perfect for this Shakespearean town. For us, Ashland was true love, and both of our kids were born and raised here. The youngest is graduating from Ashland High School next month.”
The mission at The Crown Jewel is to have customers share in the fun and connect with beautiful things.
“Our goal is to create a happy and approachable atmosphere where people of all kinds feel comfortable shopping,” Anne said. “We really believe in the power of jewelry to tell a story. On the one hand jewelry seems like such a material thing. It has a value as such, but we have learned over the years that more than almost anything in our lives, it has the power to tell our stories and connect us to others. We have been fortunate enough to see the love between mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, and to share these moments in life with our customers and friends. The values behind the items in our shop, be it local, U.S. made, fair trade, ethical, recycled, etc., are values that add to the beauty of a ring, a bracelet, or necklace, that could be worn for a lifetime.”
The Crown Jewel is a full-service jeweler. “Jason has a workbench in the Jacksonville store,” Anne said. “Repairs, ring sizings, appraisals, etc., can be dropped off in the Ashland store … or take a fun day trip to J-ville (especially during Britt when you might run into famous musicians buying themselves a gold chain before their gig or, in the case of Willie Nelson, smoking a joint in our back parking lot). We buy and sell antique and vintage jewelry and have become known as experts and a trusted resource in that field.”
And it’s not just jewelry. The Crown Jewel is also a gift shop where you can find the unexpected. Walking into the Ashland store, you might be surprised to find so many items beyond jewelry, including a selection of Payaya! totes, summer hats, travel bags and candles, pop-up cards and the latest addition: Sven leather handbags that make it exciting to come in and browse any time.
“We also have all the greatest hits in birthstones,” Anne said, “like May’s birthstone, the emerald, in settings of sterling as well as 14k gold and gold fill. Plus we have an exciting selection of rare and unusual stones like Oregon Sunstone, tourmaline, tanzanite and spinel. Did you know that the Black Prince’s ruby in the imperial crown of England is actually a fabulous red spinel? Hey, we are The Crown Jewel after all!”
Anne is also a musician and sometimes plays her cello in the store for First Friday art openings. “Our son, Rowan, used to play his keyboard in front of the store when he was little and would sometimes take home more than the shop,” she said. “College tuition, baby! Almost everything we carry has a story or personal connection to it. We like to stock fun, meaningful treasures. Appropriately, there is an old gold mine by Jason’s workbench in our Jacksonville store’s basement. Jason is even currently making some rings from Jacksonville gold.”
For more info, call 541-488-2401 (541-899-9060 in J-ville). You can also see them at thecrownjewel.net and on Facebook and Instagram.
