Interview With Jaclyn Mason, Owner Of "Charm," Georgetown's Latest Gem

DC is many things: a political powerhouse, nearly unbearable during the summer months thanks to its swamp origins, a major tourist attraction.  What DC is not known for, however, is shopping. Fed up with the inconsistent jewelry options in the District, DC native Jaclyn Mason decided to stop lamenting and do something about it.

So, she opened Charm (2910 M Street NW), the latest addition to Georgetown's shopping options. Already garnering the attention of DC residents, (and the Georgetown Dish and K Street Kate) Jaclyn was kind enough to take a moment out of her day to chat with GofG about how she has filled a niche that, until Charm opened, didn't even exist in DC.

Guest of a Guest: Jackie--can we call you Jackie?

Jaclyn Mason: Yes, by all means.

Ok, great.  Jackie, why jewelry and why Georegetown?

As a jewelry fanatic, I found myself often leaving DC to get my pieces, be it to New York, online or abroad.  And I chose Georgetown for the location because it seemed to me the area with the most consistent traffic--both tourist and local.

What was wrong with DC?

There wasn't really anything wrong per se, but I just never felt like there was any one-stop, affordable travel jewelry store in DC.  Lots of stores offer jewelry, but not as their main focus.  If I wanted new jewelry, I was never confident about where to go--it seemed to be hit or miss in DC.

Travel jewelry?

So there's real jewelry (gold, diamonds, etc.) and there's travel jewelry that is kind of like costume jewelry in that it is not super expensive.  Travel jewelry is the piece(s) you can take with you where ever you go, and that would not make you freak out if you lost it (like you'd freak out if you lost diamonds studs).

What lines do you carry in your store?

Some of the brands we currently carry are Amrita Singh, Kendra Scott, Ella Poe, Kenneth Jay Lane, and local designer Paula Mendoza.  We are constantly looking for exciting designers to carry in our store, and get new shipments of merchandise in on a daily basis.  We have so much stuff in the store right now I barely have enough space to display it all!

Do you carry anything other than jewelry?

Yes.  We have a bunch of accessories, like purses, sandals, espadrilles, headbands.  But that stuff plays second fiddle to our jewelry.  That's why our store is set up the way it is.  You walk in and all you see if jewelry.  Then, when you move back to the register, in the back of the store, you see the accessories and such that are available..

Who's your favorite travel jewelry designer?

That's such a hard question! But I do love Jennifer Miller.  Her stuff is amazing and so wearable.

Thanks so much for talking with us, Jackie!

You're so welcome.  I love your necklace, by the way.  We have some things just like it--let me show you...