Realizing a Dream

Written By: Deena Bouknight | Issue: May 2023 | Photograph By: Susan Renfro

Laurel Parham

Laurel Parham’s “dream” since college has been to own and manage a jewelry shop in Highlands. She realized that dream three years ago, opening a shop in Wright Square. The success of that shop led to Parham moving her Bijou business recently to a larger space at 125 South 4th Street.

Parham named her shop Bijou because in French the word means “little jewel,” and the play on words was irresistible. Due to handcrafted offerings and a growing inventory of jewelry, Bijou is increasingly becoming known as the Little Jewel of Highlands.

Parham’s experience is extensive. She has enjoyed a 26-year career in metals and jewelry. After working in 1997 as an apprentice with a German jeweler, who taught her the basics of jewelry and metal work, she also sought and earned a degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Not only does Bijou offer clients such lines as Locman, Ava Couture, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Hermes, but Parham is also on the lookout for distinct lines, such as the Italian men’s line of alternative metals and 18-karat gold called Baraka. A niche at Bijou is Parham’s ability to craft custom pieces due to her innate design sense and creativity as well as her skillset involving computer design and fabrication.

“Many times, I have repurposed people’s heirlooms so that they are more wearable,” she said. “I learn key points about an individual’s life, about the piece itself as well, and I rework a piece to make it more unique, relatable, and wearable for the client.”

Parham’s other specialty is to incorporate colored stones into her one-of-a-kind creations. She offers free consultations, by appointment, for anyone needing guidance about jewelry or who might be interested in having her design a specialty piece.

Parham is an Appalachian Mountains native, with family all throughout the hill counties from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Huntsville, Alabama. Yet she’s called North Carolina home for the past 23 years. Plus, she comes from a long line of hands-on craftspeople, with her father being a furniture maker.

“I’m excited to offer Highlands a meaningful and relaxing jewelry store experience,” said Parham, “And I think of myself as more of a consultant than a retailer. I want clients to know they purchased a piece with confidence.”

When consulting with Parham, clients are asked a series of questions to determine exact wants and needs. “I hope they go away with a piece they will enjoy for a long time or perhaps a lifetime – or that will be enjoyed for many lifetimes by others.”