Like all small businesses, Jewelry Authority started from a personal passion, and grew over years of hard work and dedication. Over 20 years ago, Roger Wilson discovered that his enjoyment of helping customers find vintage fraternity badges laid the foundation for a successful eBay store. This store went on to sell hundreds of thousands of pieces and earn 100% positive feedback during his 18 years of leadership.

In 2018, Roger founded Jewelry Authority with a vision to provide a different type of jewelry shopping experience - both locally and globally. Based on the values of transparency and honesty developed from trusted relationships, Jewelry Authority has grown to be the place to go for all of your vintage, estate, and fine jewelry needs. Roger's personal love of watches and bullion also made it the perfect place to purchase those hard to find, treasured items.

Fine jewelry, watches, and bullion help us commemorate the most important people, places. and events of our lives. That is why the work at Jewelry Authority goes far beyond precious metals and gemstones. We do what we do because we care about each person's story and want them to have an experience with a jeweler who cares. Our goal is to celebrate life’s joy with people by providing great jobs and amazing guest interactions all to the glory of God.

Meet Our Team

Roger Wilson

Owner

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Owner

Roger Wilson

Roger is built with a heart for people and a love for entrepreneurship. As a child he loved adding to his boyhood collections of coins, rocks & gemstones and baseball cards. He was quick to start new ventures selling lemonade, mowing yards, ticketing firefly shows, and selling candy in his elementary school class - all the while pulling in his friends and family to help along the way. His ability to dream, work hard, and inspire fun has been constant throughout his life. Roger’s venture into the jewelry industry began early in college. When looking on eBay for a fraternity badge he noticed that many vintage fraternal pins were undervalued simply because of missing details and historical context. His love for the personal history behind each piece, along with his heart for business, allowed his hobby of buying and selling fraternal items to grow a successful eBay store. As he sought out fraternal treasures Roger would inevitably find pieces of fine jewelry in a group of fraternity pins. Not knowing exactly what to do with those pieces he would gift them to his mom, but as his experience and education developed the natural overlap of incorporating vintage and estate fine jewelry into his business was inevitable. Over 20 years later Roger has honed his knowledge of fine jewelry, bullion, watches, and fraternal items. He is grateful for the opportunity to work alongside friends and customers - learning from and helping others understand and and benefit from the value of each personal piece of jewelry. After selling a successful jewelry business and thousands of beautiful items, it is still the industry relationships and the story behind each piece that motivates him every day. Roger and his wife, Melissa, have been married for 12 years and have two young children. They love spending time outdoors, eating good food, and spending quality time with family and friends.

Robert Dawson

VP of Operations

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VP of Operations

Robert Dawson

Robert’s career in jewelry started in product photography working for Roger Wilson in 2011. Robert graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with a double major in economics and religious studies. He has grown with the company and excels at leading our team and creating systems to make our office function properly. Robert married his beautiful bride, Kayla, in December of 2020. Kayla stays busy turning Robert’s bachelor pad into a beautifully decorated family home. Kayla enjoys gardening and quilting, and Robert enjoys helping young people navigate the world and grow in their faith. When not working, he can be found mentoring students at youth group, remodeling his house, or in his woodshop building his next piece of furniture.

Cole Austin

Jewelry Refinishing Specialist

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Jewelry Refinishing Specialist

Cole Austin

Cole is from Greensboro, NC. He is a senior at UNC Greensboro studying business marketing, and he plans to graduate in December of 2022. Many of our pieces come to us pre-loved. Cole professionally polishes, cleans and refinishes these pieces to a like new condition before they find their new homes. On his time off, Cole enjoys fly fishing, camping, boating, and spending time outside.

Craig Roberts

Graduate Gemologist, (GIA)

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Graduate Gemologist, (GIA)

Craig Roberts

Growing up in Winston-Salem, NC, Craig’s love for gems started as a young child collecting rocks. He attended UNC Asheville and began his career in the jewelry industry in 1976. After he received his Graduate Gemologist degree from the GIA (Gemological Institute of America), he worked at Carlyle and Co. Craig worked his way through senior diamond grader and diamond buyer until he was the resident graduate gemologist. With over 30 years of industry experience, Craig is well versed in diamond grading and colored gemstone identification. He loves getting to see all types of jewelry art that come through our doors. During his career, Craig has made several diamond buying trips to Antwerp, Amsterdam, New York City, and Israel. Craig is married to his lovely wife, Becky. They have two children and six grandchildren. In his free time, Craig enjoys woodworking, reading, traditional archery, dark chocolate, and spending time outside. He describes himself as a cat lover who likes dogs as well.

Leanna Norris

Content Coordinator, Marketing Specialist

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Content Coordinator, Marketing Specialist

Leanna Norris

After earning her B.S. and M.A. in developmental psychology at Liberty University, Leanna returned home to North Carolina. Her background in photography, psychology, and small business marketing makes her a perfect fit for the Jewelry Authority family. She creates content for our social media pages, lists products, and is one of our product photographers. Leanna loves to bring a modern touch to our vintage aesthetic and create a space for customers to see behind the scenes. She loves layering dainty yellow gold jewelry that is simple and unique. She instigates many officewide coffee walks next door to Dunkin' Donuts and can be found on a North Carolina beach most weekends. She lives with her husband, Drew, in Holly Springs where they are involved with Summit Church.

Hallie Young

Business Development Associate

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Business Development Associate

Hallie Young

A North Carolina native, Hallie graduated from the UNC Greensboro with a B.S. in business management. She worked with two local business start ups for several years before realizing the love she had for small businesses and the family atmosphere they bring. Hallie wears many hats at Jewelry Authority: between customer service, receiving and processing new pieces, working with clients to create custom orders, and shipping, Hallie enjoys having a hand in several parts of the process. She and her husband Clay currently reside in a home that they flipped in Greensboro, NC. Hallie is a firm believer in drinking iced coffee year-round, and she loves trying new drinks at local coffee shops. Most of her weekends and free time are spent exploring new cities and cooking.

Jennifer Baum

Listing Manager

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Listing Manager

Jennifer Baum

Jennifer has been in the jewelry industry since 2007. Her primary focus is overseeing listings posting to our online sites. She enjoys learning about the unique inventory and the history behind the jewelry. Jennifer especially enjoys working with Art Deco and tanzanite pieces. Jennifer earned a bachelor's degree in graphic design from Liberty University. She has since worked in diverse fields but has found her position with the Jewelry Authority family to be most fulfilling. She enjoys the friendly and flexible work environment and is proud to be a part of the company’s evolution. An avid lover of dogs, coffee, and travel, Jennifer loves experiencing new cultures and foods. She has visited several countries in Asia and Europe and plans to go to many more. Whether it’s taking a road trip to a nearby vineyard, trying a new restaurant, or checking out a music festival, Jennifer is always up for an adventure. She also treasures time with her friends and enjoys shopping.

Liz Dawson

Shipping Manager

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Shipping Manager

Liz Dawson

Although a native of North Carolina, Liz has traveled all over the world. She has traveled all over the world and enjoys experiencing new cultures. Thailand has a special place in her heart, as she lived there for three years. The desire to be closer to family brought her back home, and we were lucky to have her join our team. Liz oversees our shipping department and takes great pride in making sure that every package is sent out with care. As a people person, she really enjoys interacting with our customers, so you will likely get a message from her or receive a cheerful greeting when you walk through our doors. A graduate of Appalachian State University, Liz earned her B.S. in elementary education. While no longer a teacher, she still tries to make time to spend with former students, whether it is tutoring them or going to get ice cream. She also enjoys spending time with her nieces and nephews. You can find Liz out hiking in nature on the weekends or shopping for the latest fashion deals at local boutiques.