Businesswoman hoping store will be a real jewel in SK

Tiffany and Co.’s little blue boxes are legendary. Zales is the “diamond store,” and at the Shane Co., baubles come complete with a “friend in the diamond business.”

But at Goodenow Designs, there is no one gimmick or signature item.

Like the store’s front sign says, it’s all about being distinctive.

“We have a lot of interesting pieces I don’t think you’ll see often,” says owner Alex Jarrett, 28, who opened the store at 834 Bay Street in February.

“I have a wide range of jewelry,” says Jarrett, who expressed personal affection for Native American inlay. “It’s all handmade.

The handiwork -- it’s a work of art in itself. The artists who make it are so talented and patient to do all that work.”

Jarrett, a married mother of two, has been working with jewelry for 11 years.

She bought Goodenow Designs from her mother, who previously ran the business out of her home, after moving to Port Orchard from Denver last fall.

Operating an actual store is a new experience for Jarrett, who previously did trade and craft shows, as well as the Kitsap County Fair last year.

“I ... tore it down every weekend,” she says of her previous technique. “I’ve always gone from show to show.”

And now?

“The whole storefront is new to me, but I’m enjoying it,” she says of the store, which is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. “It’s a lot less physically demanding than the trade shows.”

One benefit of working out of a physical space is that she can make it her own. No big-box jewelry store here; she wants to do things on a small scale, and remain distinctive.

“I would like to expand and I’m working on my Web site,” she says, adding, “I don’t want to become too large.”

Building a strong customer base is important, too, she says.

“I had a very large following of ladies in Denver,” she says. “We would give each other hugs and go through the jewelry.”

With prices that range from $4 to $1,000, “I didn’t want to be a high-end store or a low-end store,” Jarrett says. “I want something for everyone.

“If you’re looking for a gift for a 14-year-old girl, we can come up with an $18 necklace.”

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