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to do it, I just have an eye that knows it when I see it," she
explains. "The same with my mom. That is our gift.
Knowing what sells for us and for our clients – the right
mix is so different for every store."
Ylang Ylang (pronounced E-lang E-lang and named
after the Malaysian fl ower) originally started when
Ettinger's family stumbled upon a small jewelry boutique
owned by a Frenchman named Jacques in Miami,
Florida's Bal Harbor shops. Ettinger and her mother
decided immediately that they needed to bring this shop
to St. Louis.
Originally the boutique specialized in large 80's
costume jewelry but evolved into exclusive designer
jewelry over time. One change they have made with the
new boutique is the inclusion of fi ne jewelry at every price
point with more options for younger girls and gift items.
"It's still designer and still exclusive but with more price
points," says Ettinger, who truly believes that fi ne jewelry
is not about the price of a diamond.
"We never sell an engagement ring by price alone," she
explains. "People don't have to have the most expensive,
just the most beautiful and meaningful to them."
As my mom taught me, this business is really all about relationship building.
