For years, we’ve touted the fact that our store has the largest selection of world-class designer lines between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, GA. During the thirty-plus years we’ve been in business, we’ve built strong relationships with some of the best and most well-known lines like Hearts on Fire, Verragio, and Tacori (just to name a few). We have over ninety display cases, each one brimming with sparkling, scintillating designs from all over the world: thousands of jewels resting like Sleeping Beauty, waiting for the perfect person to come along.
The less romantic, non-fairy-tale aspect of all that sparkle is that we have to keep track of it with precise records. And among the entire staff at Long Jewelers, there is just one person who handles it all: Dana Copenhaver, Inventory Diva Extraordinaire (although her official title is simply Inventory Controller).
LJ: How long have you worked at Long Jewelers?
DC: Six years. David knew my grandfather, who was a jeweler. I was living in Maryland at the time, but on a visit to the store, David invited me to come work for him – he was in the middle of moving from the little store to the larger store we’re in now and needed more staff.
LJ: Is that where you’re from originally, Maryland?
DC: No, I was born in Palm Springs, CA, but raised in Virginia Beach. I did live and work in Maryland for twelve years, but I was very happy to move back.
LJ: We’re happy to have you! Tell us a little about your family. Do you have any pets?
DC: I have a beautiful almost twelve-year-old daughter. I lost my wonderful dog Gunner (Gunny) a few years ago and I’m unofficially in the market for a new dog – something like a Boston terrier or French bull dog. That’s a hint for my boyfriend…
LJ: Okay, that’s the second dog request we’ve had during these interviews so far. I’m just going to walk in one day with a big box full of puppies for everyone. So you said that David wanted to hire you when he was getting ready to open the new store. Tell us a bit about your jewelry background.
DC: David knew my grandfather, who was a jeweler himself, but prior to working here I had no jewelry experience at all. I was still living in Maryland at the time and when I accepted, I told David I could start in two weeks. That meant two weeks to sell my house and move! But when I started here, David, Jon, Randy, Jack – everybody – taught me as much as they could. I also learned by working with all of our different vendors, and over the years I’ve taken several GIA courses on jewelry, colored stones, and the complete diamond grading program.
LJ: We do love our educated staff! So armed with all of this jewelry knowledge, give us a few details on what you do for us.
DC: Essentially, I’m the inventory controller. I’m responsible for adding merchandise to our computer system, making sure everything is tagged and priced accurately, and ensuring special orders are processed correctly. There’s a good amount of time spent reconciling records to make sure what’s on paper or in the computer matches what’s in the display cases and invoices, too.
LJ: Ah yes, paperwork. It’s like the Neverending Story. But enough technical stuff – let’s talk about designers. Name a few of your favorites.
DC: Eugene!
LJ: One of our jewelers?
DC: Yes, he’s made some beautiful pieces for me and my daughter over the years. But as far as actual designers we carry, that’s a hard one to answer. There’s a difference between what I like to look at and what I end up wearing – I tend to wear very classic pieces, much simpler than what our designers create, and all of our designers create such stunning collections. I like Bez Ambar, Damiani, Penny Preville, Fana, I. Reiss, Lecil Henderson…you’re putting me on the spot. This is probably the hardest question!
LJ: Sorry, didn’t mean to make you sweat! I’m sure you won’t have made any enemies among our designer friends. What is your favorite thing about working here?
DC: Funny you mention the designers, because that’s what I enjoy most. It’s fascinating to see the lines and actually meet the men and women who create them! It’s a little like driving a Ford and personally meeting Henry Ford. Also, I’ve been here for six years and I’m still one of the newest. I think that really says something about what a great work environment this is. I enjoy the people I work with.
LJ: Since you’re in the vault most of the time – folks, we don’t lock her in there, that’s just where her office is located! – you don’t work with customers very often. But do you have a memorable experience with a customer you’d like to share?
DC: I love getting mail after helping someone go through the process of choosing the perfect engagement ring. I once helped a young man that lived in Washington State whose parents live on the Eastern Shore. He wanted to work with us simply because of his parents’ recommendation. After several calls and emails back and forth, he purchased a ring, more or less sight unseen, and flew in to pick it up when it was ready. He and his fiancee were thrilled; and later on they sent me a thank you note with wedding pictures. I really believe that we can build such a special rapport with our customers because our workplace culture and environment make it so easy.
LJ: Last question: What advice do you want to share with our customers about shopping for a diamond?
DC: Always see the diamond in person before you purchase. I cannot fathom how someone can be willing to invest so much money without physically looking at and comparing diamonds. No matter what it may say on paper, a D (color), VS1 (clarity) may not be beautiful; and a stone that may not be as desirable on paper may still be beautiful to the naked eye.
LJ: Couldn’t have put it better myself.
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