Page 23 - The Peorian Vol 3 Issue 1 Winter

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thePeorian.com The Present
Then at K’s Merchandise, because
of the volume, I got lots of experi-
ence at doing it quick,” he said.
“Now I know if I don’t have
enough inventory I can make it.”
The move to Peoria Heights
came because he wanted to be
in what he called a “residential
shopping district,” something
similar to the Broad Ripple sec-
tion of Indianapolis, where he
grew up. “That kind of atmo-
sphere was what I was looking
for and I think I’ve found here.
It’s a challenge because business
is slow right now, but I am con-
fident that the things happening
in the Heights will have this area
booming,” he said.
He was referring to how
the commercial part of Peoria
Heights on Prospect Road has
gone from a “blue collar strip”
with places like the Franklin
and Velvet Freeze mixed with
bars like the Copper Kettle and
Emporium to a more contempo-
rary strip. Now the area boasts
upgraded buildings and restau-
rants with names like Salt, June,
Hearth and Publik House mixed
with retailers like Olio and Vino
and re- and A Perfect Pear.
Plans to turn the former
Cohen’s Furniture warehouse
into a mixed use development
that will include residential will
help further, Pettet said.
He is excited for more people
to see his creations. He makes
anything, from rings to pendants
to earrings and bracelets. “If I can
make it, I will,” he said. “Most of
my jewelry evolves from design
conception to completion. Half of
the pieces are unusual combina-
tions of shapes and sizes of the
stones.”
Pettet said he uses unusual
gem stones such as Drusy quartz
or pearls from his exclusive L’Eau
Courbée (Crooked Water) Mother
of Pearl collection. He has found
many pieces in this area, such as
in creek beds while looking for
arrow heads. “I can get nicely cut
pieces and use them, but I like to
let the consumer decide what’s
better,” he said.
As the economy fluctuates, he
added, “I’ve learned to adapt to
keep up with business trends. For
example, we are using less gold
right now because of the cost and
because white metals are more
popular right now. As much as I
fancy myself an artist, I have to
sell my stuff if I want to stay in
business.”
Pettet said it disappoints him to
see how some people shop, think-
ing they are getting a good deal
when basing it on price alone.
“It’s a greedy consumer that does
that. The consumer who under-
stands and appreciates the value
of service is generally willing to
spend a little more for a piece. I
pride myself on the service we
give here,” he said.
Pettet doesn’t focus on any one
piece of the jewelry market, he
said. For example, he doesn’t do
a lot of bridal jewelry because he
doesn’t market for it. “But if you
want an engagement ring that
doesn’t look like any other… I
can do that for you. I think you’d
like it,” he said.
Brad Pettet uses some of the tools of his trade while making or repairing jewelry,
including the laser in the photograph below.