Local Girl Makes Good

RAPAPORT… Backed by her knowledge and appreciation of diamonds, Little Rock–born Mary Healey grew her one-woman appraisal business into a top-rated jewelry store.

One can tell from her gentle Southern-accented voice that Mary Healey is an Arkansas native. In fact, she grew up a short distance away from the upscale, arty neighborhood in the old downtown section of Little Rock where her self-named retail shop is located.

In 1980, Gemological Institute of America (GIA)-graduate Mary Healey began her career as an appraiser, situated in a 10–by-10-foot upstairs office in downtown Little Rock. At the time, she was the only GIA graduate in the city, she explains, and her way of doing business changed the structure of the local appraisal business. “The early 1980s was a time when people wanted to invest in things and they all needed appraisals, but I did business differently from other appraisers, who charged clients based on the value of the goods. Instead, I charged by the actual time spent doing the appraisal and did it while they waited. That way, they could understand the appraisal process.”

As her client list grew, so did requests for more services. Some customers brought in estate pieces they wanted changed. Others came in requesting gemstones. The business naturally developed into selling diamonds, and Healey moved from upstairs to downstairs, into a 1,700-square-foot store. Several years later, another, larger space opened up a few blocks away, and Mary Healey’s moved to its current location, at 5600 Kavanaugh Boulevard, in the Historic Heights Theater Building.

WHO’S WHO OF DESIGN

Today, her resource list incorporates some of the best-known names in the jewelry business, including jewelers David Yurman, Henry Dunay, Kwiat, SeidenGang and Scott Kay, as well as watchmakers Patek Philippe, Rolex and Armani. Healey says her store ranks as number one in the region for sales of David Yurman jewelry and watches, and recent in-store renovations have enlarged the Rolex center. She has also added the jewelry collections of John Hardy and diamonds from Lazare Kaplan. On her website and in her advertising, Healey promises customers they can walk into the store with confidence and be assured of finding the finest-quality merchandise and best values available.

The emphasis is clearly on diamonds and diamond jewelry, which Healey estimates contribute somewhere between 47 and 50 percent to her total sales. The lion’s share of diamonds falls into the H/VS-SI range. But Healey says with some of the larger stones, some clients will choose J or K colors because of their superior cut. “The color is not that obvious and we tell customers the grade,” she says.

On the matter of certificates, Healey is adamant: She will only issue GIA or American Gem Society (AGS) certs to her customers. However, she says most of the time, it’s not an issue. “People don’t necessarily care about certificates.” Still, Healey and her staff frequently encounter shoppers who have purchased diamonds from other sources complete with certs that don’t match the goods. “We explain to the customer about certificates and what they mean.”

When it comes to engagement rings, Healey says she has seen a tremendous increase in demand for 2- to- 4-carat center diamonds. She stocks sizes up to 8 carats. Average prices start about $7,000 to $10,000 but can go as high as $30,000 to $35,000, depending on the ages of the couple. In diamond fashion jewelry, her clients’ taste is generally conservative, opting for vintage-inspired looks, classic designs with baguette accents and three-stone rings in which all three stones are cut in the same shape.

Becoming popular right now are designs featuring fancy color diamonds, particularly yellow and pink stones set in the same ring, often accented by white diamonds. Large canary diamonds accented by white diamonds are also good, she says, as are mixtures of brown and white diamonds in fashion bracelets, necklaces and earrings.

HAVE IT YOUR WAY

Custom design is another aspect of the business here, and customers are offered the opportunity to create their own personal designs or to consult on-staff designers about reworking an existing piece. Pins and personal accessories with corporate logos can also be produced. The staff at Mary Healey’s includes a former GIA instructor, two resident designers, a staff of bench jewelers as well as Mary Mitchell, manager and marketing director. Mitchell, a longtime employee, and Healey express mutual admiration for each other.

Named by the prestigious Arkansas Times as the best jewelry store in its market for more than ten years, Mary Healey’s has become a well-established name in this city. That name recognition is bolstered by a highly visible advertising campaign, which includes large Durotrans ads at the airport, billboards positioned around the town, television and radio spots. Memorable taglines such as “Mary Me” and “Mary Christmas” have proved highly effective for the retailer, whose business has seen steady annual increases. In-store activities include a wide range of events, such as designer trunk shows and personal appearances.

Healey’s strongest passion, however, is centered around children, particularly abused children. “People don’t want to talk about the problem, but we’ve got to do something about it,” she says. To date, she has raised more than $1 million to benefit the Arkansas Children’s Hospital. A major part of the fundraising is the annual December 1 Miracle Ball, an invitational event for 400 invitees who pledge funds to the hospital and bid on items in the silent auction. In addition to supporting the Heart Fund and local symphony, Healey is a major booster of “Star Achievers,” a one-year program in which eighth-graders are introduced into all aspects of the world of medicine to encourage future careers.

After 28 years in the business, with a full schedule of retail and charitable work, Healey admits she doesn’t have a lot of free time, but says she has always enjoyed what she does. “I just don’t want to give it up.”