Photos courtesy of Betsy Pittard
When Betsy Pittard was 16, she took a small job after school with a do-it-yourself (DIY) jewelry bead shop in her hometown of Macon, Ga. Back then, she had no idea it would ignite her life’s passion and become a lucrative career. Instead, she was looking to make a little spending money. But, Pittard explains, she either had to learn how to bead or find another job, so she learned the technique and worked at the store throughout high school.
After graduation, Pittard moved to Athens and enrolled at the University of Georgia (UGA). “I got my business license just so I could go to the [Atlanta Apparel] Mart, not thinking I was going to do anything serious with it,” she says. She then only made jewelry in her dorm room for friends.
Her sister convinced Pittard to take her samples to a new shoe store opening in Macon to see if they would carry her pieces. “They say I walked in holding a picture frame. And I was just like, ‘Hey, do you want to buy my jewelry?’” she explains. “And the owner bought everything that day except for one bracelet!”
That store owner introduced her to another one and so it went from there.
Pittard, now living in the Augusta area, has continued to grow in popularity and creativity during the past 15 years, embracing opportunities like online merchandising to reach more customers, while building her retail store base to more than 50 shops mostly in the Southeast. She shares, “I’ve recently in the last year hooked up with Faire, the wholesale website, and I’ve been getting a lot of stores through them, which is wonderful.”
Pittard’s designs are ones that anyone can wear with anything. She is clear about one thing, though. “I don’t study trends. I make what I like.” Referring to color choices she says, “I’ll obviously look up the Pantone colors, but I’m not ordering everything in purples.” She sticks with more neutrals now since customers are likely to buy cream necklaces over bright pink ones.
This fall, Pittard is excited about her UGA pieces that will soon hit the stores and website. “So, we’re having the charm necklaces. Some coming will say UGA, and then it will have a bulldog, a helmet or some kind of football theme,” she states. “It’s definitely just a thing you wear for football season. But, if you are a Georgia fan and that’s what you do on Saturdays, you’re going to want one!”
Her favorite designs are the coin necklaces, the Beethoven ($48) and the Edgar ($38). She switches between those often. “And how can I forget the Danbury?” she exclaims. It’s a showstopper at just $78.
All can be purchased in-store or online along with bracelets and earrings. Pittard says she tries to keep her accessories under $100, though gemstones may cause the cost to be slightly higher.
In Augusta, Betsy Pittard Designs can be found at Swank, Soho and the Ivy. If you follow @betsypittarddesigns on Instagram, you can shop there, too. Shop online at shopbetsypittarddesigns.com and use the code THANKS20 for 20% off your next purchase!
Seen in the Nov/Dec 2024 issue of Augusta magazine.
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