Whitmire’s Fine Jewelry, a favorite destination in Pawleys Island’s Hammock Shops Village

Nestled in the Hammock Shops Village of Pawleys Island, Whitmire’s Fine Jewelry has been in business for 53 years and is the home of the original Pawleys Island Shell jewelry.

Whitmire’s is located right next door to the Original Hammock Shop and carries a wide range of fine and semi-precious jewelry lines, selected for quality and uniqueness.

Owners Jason and Keenan Harn have owned the iconic jewelry store since July 2023.

“At Whitmire’s, we have always prioritized quality in our craftsmanship and in our relationships,” Keenan said. “We treat our jewelry like art and our customers like family.”

She said Whitmire’s is not a shop filled with items selected from catalogs and websites that are shipped here from China. 

“We take pride in the lines that we carry that are made in the USA, jewelry handmade in a small village in Bali, an eclectic collection of estate jewelry, and of course our Pawleys Island Shell Jewelry,” Keenan said. 

Jewelry is a very emotional subject, she said.

“Buying jewelry to mark a special occasion, repairing heirloom jewelry, making bereavement jewelry, and re-working family jewelry into something new and special — the stories and the meaning behind each piece that comes through our shop facilitates deeper relationships with our customers,” Keenan said. “We like to think that our customers leave feeling seen, heard, and like they’ve left a friend’s house.”

‘Blessed by the island’

Pawleys Island Shell jewelry is just one of the reasons people come far and wide to visit this iconic shop.

The store’s original owner, John Henry Whitmire, was the first to create an original design based on the Pawleys Island Shell. It quickly became the store’s iconic design.

With its distinct markings, it is also known as the Imperial Venus Clam, and although it can be found in other areas, the shell is often found in and around Pawleys. Local legend even suggests that those who find the shell are “blessed by the island.”

“John Henry Whitmire created the first fine Pawleys Island Shell Jewelry and is truly responsible for turning the shell into the icon for Pawleys Island,” Keenan said. “I really think that our front porch vibes inside the store are also part of what makes us unique.”

 Whitmire opened his Pawleys Island jewelry store in 1973 and soon established two lines of beach-memento jewelry, inspired by the sights he saw when relaxing on the beach. He died at age 72 in January 2023. His obituary noted that he was an “adventurous, gregarious, and charming unofficial world ambassador for the community where he lived and worked.”

After opening the store, John Henry’s inspiration was soon obvious. His modestly priced Treasures of the Sea line, which sold primarily to beach vacationers, consisted of silver and gold pendants, charms, and earrings. In addition to the casting of the Pawleys Island Shell as a charm, the store also offered a piece based on the Pawleys Island Chapel.

The higher-end Royal Sea Collection, which sold primarily to locals, offered pieces with gemstones or pearls attached, such as a diamond-covered Pawleys Island Shell or palmetto tree.

After John Henry’s death, Jason and Keenan worked closely with his brother, Clay, and eventually bought the store in July 2023. The couple are pleased to keep John Henry’s legacy of quality service alive.

“John Henry had an incredible love for people and for Pawleys Island,” Keenan reflected. “We have visitors every day who share their stories about how John Henry treated them like family. John Henry’s designs have connected people for over 50 years and celebrate the Pawleys Island lifestyle.”

She also loves how the Pawleys Island Shell has such a special meaning for everyone.

“The broader meaning is connection to this island that we love so much, the legend of good fortune that the shell brings, and the simplicity of the design,” Keenan said. “The part that is special, though, is the individual meaning it has to people.”

For some, it represents time spent on vacation with family, the place they fell in love, or got married, or a special memory of something as simple as collecting shells along the beach with loved ones.

“There are so many interpretations of the meaning of the shell,” Keenan said, “and that is what makes it such a prolific design element.”

Valued customers

Loyal customers who have been visiting Whitmire’s Fine Jewelry for decades say they love the atmosphere of the Hammock Shops Village and the store’s creative jewelry designs.

Bonnie Bair of Bainbridge, Pennsylvania, has been shopping at Whitmire’s for more than 20 years.

“The Hammock Shops are in a lovely spot, quaint, secluded, just a nice area,” she said. “It is fun to walk around, have lunch, watch sweet grass folks weaving beautiful pieces, and enjoy nature.”

She remembers fondly when John Henry Whitmire owned the shop, saying that she had a lot in common with him because they were the same age.

“I feel John Henry’s presence every time we are there,” Bair said. “I always enjoyed seeing his new designs because they were so creative.”

She added that she also likes the new owners of Whitmire’s Fine Jewelry.

“Keenan and Jason are doing a wonderful job of keeping John Henry’s legacy and love for all ocean creatures alive,” Bair said. “It is not your normal beach jewelry store.”

Customer Sam Elmer said he has shopped at Whitmire’s for more than 30 years. His wife, Leldon McClary Elmer, was John Henry’s goddaughter.

“My parents knew John Henry in the 80’s and he would join our family occasionally during vacations on Pawleys Island,” he said. My wife grew up helping out for a few summers in the shop. We probably walk in the store once a month whether it is to shop, catch up, or get some jewelry inspected and cleaned.”

He added that they both love the Hammock Shops Village.

“I remember as a kid going to get some fudge and then running out to the toy store to play ring toss on the patio,” Elmer said. “The Hammock Shops provide a great family environment, but the highlight is definitely Whitmire’s.”

Another long-time customer, Sally Keyser, said she has loved Whitmire’s since she was a child.

“Whether it was the beautiful pottery or the gorgeous jewelry, Whitmire’s is my favorite store in the Pawleys Island area,” she said. “I have a son, Rowan, that works at Whitmire’s and he enjoys working in a place where everyone is happy and truly enjoys their job.

Long history with Hammock Shops

Keenan said she has had a long history being part of the Hammock Shops Village, growing up about 250 yards from the historic shopping area. She said some of her earliest memories are walking through the village with friends and family. 

“I remember coming here for special events like having my silhouette painted at 3 years old in front of the General Store, which is now Pawleys Island Mercantile,” she said. “I remember coming here to trick-or-treat and hear ghost stories told by enthusiastic adults dressed as Alice Flagg and the Grey Man.”

She said she also remembers her babysitters walking her over to watch the giant bubble demonstrations outside of the Christmas Mouse, another store in the Hammock Shops Village.

“If you were a child in Pawleys in the 1990s – you remember the bubbles,” Keenan said. “My first job at 13 years old was at The Original Hammock Shops, folding T-shirts and making fudge, and I also worked for Roz Wyndham at The Dog & Cone hut next to her amazing restaurant, Roz’s Rice Mill Cafe.”

When she and Jason purchased Whitmire’s they also had the opportunity to buy back Keenan’s childhood home.

“That has been a blessing on top of a blessing – being able to raise my daughters in the house where I was raised” she said. “The opportunity to serve my community again and see so many familiar faces every day has been a dream.” 

As she reflected on her history at Pawleys, Keenan said she didn’t realize how special this place is until she moved away to college.

“Pawleys has been a resort town since the first cabins were built on the island,” she said. “I think that the unique history here and the generations of southern hospitality have made it a place where we embrace tourism.” 

She added that visitors help keep our shops and restaurants thriving and the constant ebb and flow of new faces that bring new stories and dynamics the island.

“It’s part of the fabric that makes our ‘come as you are’, ‘arrogantly shabby’, barefoot town so different than anywhere in the world,” Keenan said. “I didn’t realize how special this area was until I really left Pawleys for college.”

For more information about Whitmire’s Fine Jewelry, click here to visit the store’s website. For more about the Hammock Shops Village, click here for the website.

By Clayton Stairs / tourism manager for the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce