Rick and PJ Watkins are the owners of Encinitas Custom Jewelers, located at the El Camino Commons Plaza in Encinitas. This family-run custom design jewelry studio opened their doors in Encinitas in 1995, but Rick has been working in the jewelry industry since 1978. Rick has always been fascinated by art and has skillfully combined his previous talent and knowledge as a dental lab technician in the late 1970s by transitioning his work into an apprentice jeweler in the early 1980s. By the mid 1990s, both Rick and his wife, Pamela (aka "PJ"), decided to open their first of several jewelry stores in Shadowridge, CA. Eventually, both Rick and PJ, who had graduated with her Graduate Gemology (G.G.) degree from the Gemological Institute of America in Carlsbad in 2000, decided to relocate their small design studio to Encinitas. Currently, both Rick and PJ's two youngest daughters, Alexzandria (Zanni) and Chloe, work alongside their parents at Encinitas Custom Jewelers. Zanni has been working hard to organize their estate jewelry in the store and on Etsy.com, while Chloe assists after school with small jobs and counterwork. The Watkins' older daughter, Jessica, who graduated from Point Loma Nazarene, parlayed her own artistic talents by attending Parsons New School of Design in New York City. Eventually, this unique experience allowed her to design for the prestigious Ralph Lauren Design House in downtown Manhattan. And their eldest child, Noah, who also attended PLNU and majored in graphic design, is currently employed in San Diego with Sony's gaming and video design division, having won several awards and competitions for his own creative work.
Rick thoroughly enjoys designing jewelry alongside of his customers. Recently, while in the store, a woman was overheard saying, "So you can make anything?" And Rick, who encounters this daily, said, "Yes. I can basically design and create anything, from the most simple jewelry piece to the most extravagant." Rick has always said that one of his favorite experiences, as a jeweler, has been when he has completed a custom design piece and experiences the customer's reaction. "I love the expression of the people I work with; sometimes, after all of the hard work and effort, that is the best form of satisfaction in a job well done, both as designer and business owner!"
Both Rick and PJ and their entire family have developed and cultivated long-lasting, trusting relationships with their customers over the years, who continue to keep coming back. Often times, family and friends spread the word of Rick's quality work, unique store setting and comfortable demeanor. Recently, he realized that he is even onto the next generation of a particular family's wedding rings! "What a pleasure it is to be able to contribute to making family heirlooms and special pieces to commemorate moments in a couple's lives." Take some time to share your treasured jewelry or have some extravagant pieces designed, just to your taste, at Encinitas Custom Jewelers. read more
