Every piece tells a story at Bijou of Greenville
Jewelry designer Laurel Parham holds out a gold ring with a rectangular tourmaline, a vibrant green gem found in California, Brazil, and Maine. “I just like the uniqueness of it, because it is such an unusual color, and I like the imperfection[s], because they look like glitter,” she says. In fact, the first pendant she made now rests at the center of a tourmaline satellite bracelet. Each gem is a different shape and size, but that is what makes it special to her.
She seems partial to green. Her jewelry store, Bijou “Little Jewel” of Greenville, is accented with forest-toned rugs on hardwood floors, and paintings of the natural world hanging along the brick walls.
Bijou began in Highlands, North Carolina. Parham had been making and selling jewelry for 30 years before opening the store in 2020. “It was basically a rebirth, a brand-new business. I wanted it to be the things that I love about jewelry, the creations that I love,” she says. “This business gives me the capability of sharing or telling a story.”
Bijou’s Greenville location, which opened in April, offers a wide selection of jewelry, watches, and designer bags. After just a few months, Parham speaks fondly of the art culture and connectedness Greenville offers. “I feel like it’s a good fit for me to be a local jeweler instead of a destination jeweler, because I can get more of that synergy with you . . . I can be consistent.”
Stories Etched in Stone
Parham often refers to her pieces as “she” or “this guy.” If jewelry tells a story, each gem is a character. She recalls a time when a client brought in her grandmother’s and mother’s diamonds along with her own engagement ring to be repurposed into a satellite bracelet “so she has everybody in one little piece.”
She is thoughtful in creating original pieces and curating pre-loved and estate items. She lists the stories from the shelf of pre-loved luxury handbags, pointing out which styles have been discontinued, making them exclusive. She keeps an eye out for rare colors or unique styles, including a burgundy Hermes Birkin handbag and an embellished Chanel flap bag. In the estate jewelry case, she identifies the decade of each piece, pointing out unique details and differences between designs.
She most recently began handcrafting a new collection during a jewelry-making course out West. “I feel like these are like tokens,” she says of the round gold charms. She likes all decades of jewelry style, but she is particularly fond of Roman, Egyptian, and Etruscan designs. She explains that coins were important to the ancient Romans, and these coin-like designs could serve as sweet mementos.
Parham’s connection to history empowers her work. “I think it’s so important that jewelry gets the notoriety that it gets, because not only is it a status symbol, but it is a form of [women] being independent, and it’s a form of sharing some stories about ourselves.”
New Beginnings
Bijou gives pre-loved designer bags and estate jewelry a fresh start. Her current bag offerings include:
- Hermes
- Louis Vuitton
- Chanel
- Christian Dior
- Fendi
Some current estate pieces:
- Tiffany & Co.
- Bulgari
- Rolex
Bijou “Little Jewel” of Greenville, 820 S. Main St, Greenville, bijoujeweler.myshopify.com
