PHOTO PROVIDED Jodi Winters, owner and operator of J.L. WInters Jewelers, stands next to a display case in her 1460 John Brady Drive, Muncy, store.

“It was always my dream to open up a jewelry store,” said Jodi Winters, owner and operator of J.L. Winters Jewelers.

Winters graduated from Williamsport Area High School in 1977, and was already working in the business two years later, and officially opened her own shop in 1993.

Her first setup was in a 10×5 room with five showcases. Today she owns the entire complex adjoining her store, 1460 John Brady Drive, Muncy.

“I’ve always had a great eye for detail so it pulled me towards the jewelry industry. Plus, I love it myself. I love every part of it, all the colors of gold and diamonds and gemstones,” Winters, 65, said.

Winters brings that enthusiasm into every interaction with each of her thousands of customers.

“When a young man comes in to find something for whom he’s going to ask to marry him, it’s really cool to make that happen. And that process can take a little time, because we want it to be the exact thing that she’s gonna love when he proposes to her,” Winters said.

As opposed to many chain store, Winters said her store offers a no pressure shopping experience.

“We honor their wishes. Most people run their business from their head, but I run it from my heart,” she said.

And because Winters is not beholden to a president or shareholders, her business is able to offer customers options not seen at larger retailers.

“We always have an interest free finance option for those that need to make payments, instead of a big lump sum. I actually pay for that,” Winters explained.

“That’s how you get people to come back. That’s how you have relationships,” she stressed.

“I’m not here to check somebody out, I’m here to actually interact with these folks. I’ve cried with people that have lost loved ones, and I’ve laughed with people who’ve had wonderful experiences and that’s the way we’ve always been for 31 years,” Winters said.

Other options available to potential customers include free jewelry inspections and watch band adjustments.

While Winters collaborates with many local creators, including sets of wine glasses with the couples’ names on them to toast with at their wedding gifted with every engagement ring purchase, when it comes to the diamonds, Jodi takes a direct route.

“I go straight to diamond cutters and diamond companies,” she said, noting Le Vian and Shy Creation among the many recognizable brands she carries.

Le Vian is a 500-year-old company that has made jewelry for the Royal family, while Shy Creation is a brand typically found only in metro areas, according to Winters.

Winters has traveled the world to establish these connections, having visited Hong Kong, Europe and India, where she has a diamond growing machine in the largest laboratory in the world, the first in the state to have such an operation.

The store carries a wide variety of products from bracelets to necklaces, boasting over 1,200 engagement rings, all of which are all fully customizable.

“We’ve taken deceased spouse’s wedding bands and turned them into crosses. The sky’s the limit. Anything you can think of that you can wear, we can make it,” she said.

All gold sold by Winters comes with a lifetime warranty.

“Say it’s a gold bracelet, and they break it, they bring it back to us, we send it back to the designer, and they send us a brand new bracelet at no expense to them,” she said. anymore.

And while many jewelry chains are increasingly charging for warranties on their products, Winters continues to shy away from that practice.

“If you’ve got a problem with the piece, as long as it doesn’t look like you ran over with a car, we will take care of it,” she said.

And, just in time for Valentine’s Day, Winters is running a special where each person to spend $149 or more will receive a dozen roses and a little box of chocolates, according to Winters.

Winters is the descendant of Italian immigrants, whose family continues to thrive in the area with three successful children and five grandchildren all living within a 12 minutes drive of her and her husband.

This multi-generational success story is something Winters looks at as a big piece of her success story.

“We are personal. We work with each person individually, with undivided attention to their needs, their budget, their wishes and their designs because jewelry is for a lifetime,” she said.

“We have people come in say, ‘this is an I Love You gift,’ and that’s wonderful too. But a lot of times, these pieces represent an event,” Winters said.

“So we work with people very, very closely. And sometimes we’ll get diamonds for them a couple times before they really like what it is,” she said.

And, quality for quality, nobody can beat our prices,” Winters said.

For more information on J.L. Winters Jewelers and a look at their extensive inventory, please visit www.jlwintersjewelers.com.