When you walk through the doors of the historic 1920’s Art Deco building on Patton Avenue, you will walk into the living room of Western North Carolina’s premier family jeweler.

     The story of Wick and Greene is one of opportunity and passion. In 1926 E.O. Wick, with a desire to escape the hectic New York lifestyle, moved to Asheville and opened a small jewelry repair shop on Wall Street. His skills as an expert enamellist, hand engraver, and jeweler served him well. So well, he was able to take on an apprentice.

     The apprentice was a young man by the name of Paul Greene. Paul eagerly worked alongside Mr. Wick, learning the business and the art of creating one-of-a-kind custom jewelry. In 1948 Paul married Lucia Brown and she joined the business as well. In 1953, Paul became a full partner in the jewelry store and Wick and Greene was born.

     Although, E.O. Wick was laid to rest in 1959, Paul decided to retain the name Wick and Greene as a tribute to his mentor. He continued to grow and expand the business, bringing in beautiful lines of jewelry to compliment his amazing hand-engraved jewelry pieces.

     In May of 1971 Wick and Greene went from a trade shop to a full service and manufacturing jewelers with a retail store located at 10 Wall Street.

     In 1975, Paul’s son, Michael Greene joined the family business. Michael learned as an apprentice, much as his father learned. He also furthered his education in the world of jewelry and has earned many prestigious designations. He is a Registered Jeweler, Graduate Gemologist (Gemological Institute of America), a Certified Gemologist and a Certified Gemologist Appraiser (American Gem Society). He was also gifted with the same passion for creating jewelry his father has and in 1983 he received the coveted DeBeers Diamonds Today award for a custom piece. In 1981, Michael and Eva Buckner were married and she joined the family business in 2006. Their daughter Eva-Michelle may become the next generation in the family business after she completes her education.

     In 1986, Wick and Greene moved locations from the small shop on Wall Street into a beautiful 1920s Art Deco building on Patton Avenue. The location was a gasoline station that Paul, Lucia, and Michael personally renovated to create the perfect setting for the fine jewelry store that is Wick and Greene. Always with a flair for the fantastic, they restored a 1920s Seth Thomas Street Clock and placed it in front of the store. The clock is one of Asheville’s most recognizable landmarks.

     The Greene’s pride in the beautiful building is surpassed only by their passion for what it contains. In addition to its award-winning original pieces, the store carries many popular name brands such as Hearts on Fire, Lazare Kaplan, Faberge', Marco Bicego, Mikimoto, Bellari, and Pandora. The store is also known for carrying incredible pieces of jewelry with rare colored gemstones (such as alexandrite, orange moonstone, black opal, and zircon) mounted in designs ranging from traditional classic to edgy contemporary and custom.

     When you see the vast collection of jewelry at Wick and Greene, you’ll realize why they have been consistently designated as “Best Jeweler in Western North Carolina” by the Asheville Citizen Times.