MONTICELLO - Bill Haworth has traveled millions of miles to find unique treasures for his customers.
But it was a journey across the ocean by a Cubs outfielder that closed a seemingly unattainable deal, enabling Haworth to obtain some the world's most coveted pearls.
It has been an unending journey for Haworth, 58, who first came to Monticello as a band teacher in 1979.
A cheerful man with an abundance of energy, Haworth realized he had met his match when he began leading the young musicians. The job, which included an endless march of practices, competitions, concerts and halftime performances, consumed almost every waking hour.
"I knew I would not continue that forever," Haworth said during an interview in his shop near the Monticello courthouse square. "I knew when I got tired I would get out."
But when Haworth was ready to pass on his baton, after 13 years of teaching music at schools in Breese and Monticello, he had no idea what else he could do.
A friend suggested applying for jobs at airlines, which didn't appeal to him at first. When Northwest Airlines hired him as a flight attendant in 1987, he thought he would try that for a year or two.
He began to appreciate his job, especially because it gave him the chance to see the world. Haworth especially enjoyed exploring Asia, "where pearls come from."
Knowing that his mother loved pearls of every size, shape and quality, Haworth filled the time between flights by seeking the best places to buy them. When his mother's jewelry cases were stuffed, he gave his newfound treasures to other relatives, friends and friends of friends.
One of his friends, a consummate volunteer, suggested that he could make a few bucks and help a good cause by selling jewelry at fundraisers for a hospital auxiliary in Champaign. Word of the success of those events spread, and Haworth was invited to sell jewelry to help hospitals throughout Illinois and Indiana.
But since his main job involved constant traveling, the idea of settling down in a shop began to grow on him.
Haworth, who has been studying pearls, colored stones and diamonds at the Gemological Institute of America since he opened his shop near the courthouse square in 2007, purchases his wide selection of jewels from designers and wholesalers in Beijing, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Seoul and Kobe, Japan.
His prices are as stunning as the necklaces, bracelets and rings he displays. Because he buys directly from primary sources, has a low overhead and genuinely enjoys giving good deals, Pearls & More is filled with bargains.
For example, strings of genuine pearls are tagged at prices one might find on costume jewelry elsewhere.
"It's fun to see women try them on and their eyes light up," Haworth said. "Ladies can try on anything. I never try to have any pressure."
While Haworth's big sellers are the items in the $20 to $50 range, he also carries extraordinary pieces, such as a $7,500 necklace, with a 4.6-carat emerald, surrounded by 14 tiny diamonds. He sells his high-end pieces at prices below the values set by an appraiser in Chicago's jewelry district.
Because of an amazing string of events during visits to Kobe, he also carries some of the finest Japanese saltwater pearls on the market.
After Haworth met the author of a textbook chapter on saltwater pearls that he had just studied, the man was so thrilled to meet someone who read his work that he took Haworth on a tour of Kobe's pearl companies. At one of the most prestigious companies, the author warned Haworth that they would not consider selling to such a small dealer as him.
At first, the pearl dealer let Haworth know he had no chance of joining his exclusive buyer's list. But when Haworth told him he lived near Chicago, the dealer became excited, because his favorite ballplayer, Kosuke Fukudome, had just signed on with the Cubs.
The next time Haworth was in Kobe, he brought the dealer a Fukudome Cubs jersey and some Fukudome posters. The dealer added Haworth to his list.
While Haworth is turning a profit, it's not money that keeps the lights on in his shop.
"It has become a passion for me," Haworth said. "It's one of those things I've fallen in love with. I rarely wear jewelry. I just love jewelry in general."
hfreeman@herald-review.com|421-6985
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