It is rare to find your calling in elementary school but for Mike Ponthieux that is what when his parents gave him a lapidary set. He was thrilled to have the chance to chip away at stones and turn them into something beautiful.

By the 6th grade, Mike was spending his time after school cutting gemstones and polishing them until they sparkled. He did this every day for years before his parents and local jewelers started to notice that his skills were incredibly advanced for his age. Wanda still wears a smoky quartz pendant that Mike cut in the 6th grade.

In high school, Mike was able to start expanding his skill set by taking silversmith classes. His parents bought him a casting torch that he uses to this day and he began doing repair work for local jewelers. Mike could not wait to get out of high school so he could take jewelry classes exclusively.

Mike studied jewelry technology at a trade college and gained experience in every step of the process, including sketching, casting precious metals into molds, and finishing pieces.

After graduation, Mike freelanced and worked in retail jewelry stores across the Southeast. His favorite stops were with stores that had a heavy emphasis on custom design.

After years of experience at the bench and learning how the business side of the jewelry industry worked, Mike set out on his own and opened his first store. The store had no inventory but you could come in and Mike would create you a custom piece.

On a church retreat, over 10 hours away from home, Mike met Wanda at the same retreat center Mike had gone to as a child. It didn’t take long for Wanda’s bubbly personality to bring Mike to Greenville.

Mike and Wanda were married and opened Ponthieux’s Jewelry Design Studio together. Wanda continued working full-time in education while Mike manned the store and built a reputation for quality work.

The word had gotten out that Ponthieux’s was the place in town for custom jewelry design and Wanda joined Mike full-time at the studio. Wanda quickly took over as the lead designer, in addition to the full-time job of keeping Mike straight.

With expanded inventory, customer base, and the need to hire more jewelers Ponthieux moved up Augusta Street to its current location. In its new location, the studio has reached new heights while maintaining Mike’s commitment to quality and craftsmanship.