Petite G Jewelers

Nov 26

In their own words

“I’m passionate about estate jewelry and the history of jewelry. I’ve always enjoyed history in any aspect. Taking the periods of jewelry and the provenance of pieces intrigues me. We have a boutique atmosphere; it’s petite, hence the name. It’s hip, but also an inviting atmosphere.”

-Dana Friedman

Jason’s Interview with Dana

Jason

Today we get to talk to Dana Friedman from Petite G Jewelers. How'd you get into the industry?

Dana

I was in my freshman year of college. I went to a little Indiana Business College. I went to buy a charm for a boyfriend, a high school sweetheart, and I fell in love with this little boutique. He liked my personality and he needed part-time help for the holiday. Really didn't know much about the industry at all. I ended up not going back to college my second semester. Now, I’m a jewelry store owner.

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Jason
What is it about jewelry that you love so much?

Dana
I am passionate about estate jewelry and the history of jewelry. There's nothing like antique pieces of jewelry. It’s just made well.

Jason
What's the ambiance you're trying to create?

Dana
We have a boutique atmosphere. It’s very petite, hence the name. It’s shabby chic, very comfortable. It's very hip, but also a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Jason
What's your specialty?

Dana
We're a neighborhood jewelry store. I was fortunate enough to take over a thirty-year jewelry store. I had worked there for twenty years. A lot of the staff stayed with me. I sit right out in the showroom. I don't hide behind closed doors.

Jason
Describe the business.

Dana
We’re classic, but also trendsetting. And just a very comfortable atmosphere.

Jason
What are some standout pieces?

Dana
I’m loving the estate jewelry. I like to take antique hat pins or antique brooches and convert them into pieces that people want to wear today. I like to repurpose the old and make them into wearable pieces. We deal with antique religious medals and that's really big in our community. We have a lot of Catholic schools—we’re in the oldest neighborhood association in America. We represent a line named Cynthia Ann Jewels—our number one top-selling line. We cast and do CAD in-house. We do a lot of custom pieces, repurposing our client’s old jewelry.

We give back to the community. We donate to every school and we do larger charitable contributions. The first year that we opened, we were able to donate over $35,000 in either pieces or gift certificates.

Jason
Are there any trends that you're seeing that you want to share?

Dana
We are seeing a lot of thin gold layering and what we call the paper clip chain, or the biker chain—light, whimsical gold. We're seeing a lot of multiple piercings. We've started offering our own ear piercings in the store.

Jason
What makes you different?

Dana
We don't worry about the competition, we don't worry about what other brands that they carry. We want to provide to our local community. We try not to carry the bigger brands. We do everything in-house —we do a huge repair business.

Jason
Here's your chance to say whatever you like to Meet the Jewelers.

Dana
We have passion for the people, the industry, and the goods that we stand behind.