News and Events
Etienne Perret - Bet the House
from The Jewel of the Maine Coast
IN A RED HOUSE overlooking a postcard harbor in Camden,Maine, lives a gambler
of some distinction. For over two decades he stayed in the game, always dreaming
of a bigger table and higher stakes. Finally, he looked at the cards and put
it all on the line.
In this case the game was not poker, but life. In placing his bet, jewelry designer Etienne Perret did not push chips to the middle of the table. Instead, he wagered his career.
“For 25 years I had a store on Camden’s Main Street,” said Etienne. “It was a full-service store and I started it to feature my work. Instead it became a place where people came to get their jewelry problems solved. I had become the local hometown jeweler and it wasn’t what I wanted to do.”
What Etienne longed for was the industry’s biggest stage; an opportunity to offer his unique designs to a global market. The resources needed for that transition, however, seemed beyond his reach. In 2001, Etienne examined emerging market trends and made the biggest gamble of his life.
“It was really hard,” said Perret of his decision to close his downtown business. “I had 12 employees and I needed to pay them a fair wage. To do the job I had to do it right and there was never any money left for me. I had to make a change.”
Etienne held a close-out sale and moved his business into his Sea Street home. His plan was simple: he would design and create his jewelry at home, and display it on the World Wide Web.
The rapid evolution, accessibility and popularity of the Internet had fascinated Etienne Perret for some time. A carefully crafted website could bring a Main Street shop to a global market. A web-based business would also afford him the time necessary to build his wholesale business and cultivate private clientele.
With the help of a trusted friend, Perret began developing his website. Extensive research and analysis has eventually produced two distinct websites –starlightbands. com and etienneperret.com. Both sites provide visitors the experience of actually shopping for fine jewelry.Visitors to either website are treated to a spectacular and extensive portfolio of his work. They can also learn about the designer and his community. The browser may be a world away – but the effect is intensely personal.
Etienne’s bold move into the global market needn’t have been so. A designer with his skill, perspective and vision might have simply chosen a more urban location and achieved the desired result. But Perret is in love with Maine and, specifically, Camden, saying simply, “he would not consider living anywhere else.”
Etienne is active within that community. He is a Paul Harris Award winner for his work in Rotary. He has served on a number of local boards and committees and was also a volunteer fireman for the Town of Camden.
Though largely confined to his shop for the majority of his career, Perret has not exactly toiled in anonymity. He is a two-time winner of the DeBeers Diamonds Today Award and a three-time finalist in the Diamonds International Award. Etienne has won the Maine Jeweler’s Award eight times and has also won the American Blenheim and America Buyer’s Choice awards. His work with gold, platinum and colored diamonds is acclaimed internationally.
And finally his gamble has paid off. Etienne’s work can be viewed in Nordstrom, Birks of Canada, Mikimoto, and Nieman Marcus. His list of custom orders and private clients has become extensive.
“Things have really turned a corner this year,” said Etienne in late 2006. “It’s been just amazing. I’ve always wanted to see how my work was received, compared to other great designers. It’s rewarding to see that so many people want, and admire, your work. Getting to this point has taken some time and hard work, but it’s all worth it.”
