Meet the Jewel: Tricia

Name: Tricia Barrett

Specialty: Customer Service, I really enjoy meeting people and helping find the perfect piece for them! 

How many years have you worked at Croghan’s? Not quite a year

White Gold or Yellow Gold? I love both!

What is your favorite jewelry brand? We have so many beautiful brands, and this changes constantly but currently I would say Temple St. Clair.

What is your favorite gemstone? Sapphire

What is your favorite piece of jewelry you own and why? My favorite piece of jewelry is my engagement ring, not only because it represents the twenty-five years (26 if you count the year we were engaged) I have been with my husband, but also because it is a custom piece that combined my engagement ring with my grandmother’s and includes my birthstone, the sapphire, in the middle, and of course it came from Croghan’s! My husband used to say it was his Boston Whaler that I wore on my finger! He now has his boat, so all is well!

Favorite piece of jewelry you have ever sold and why? That is a really hard question! I like to help people find their favorite piece of jewelry and when that happens, it becomes my favorite piece of jewelry I have ever sold until the next time I help someone find the perfect piece. I especially loved the hand-engraved compass locket I sold to a young man who had to spend time apart from his sweetheart and the Croghan’s Club Bracelet I sold to a woman who had always admired it, and finally decided she had worked hard enough to purchase it for herself. However, it is always special selling an engagement ring because they are starting their life together and how much joy it brings!

What is the best thing about working on Wonderful King Street? I love working on King St. because of all the great local shops and restaurants! My husband and son LOVE Dumas and Sons, and my being so close has really worked out for them. Kids on King or Under the Almond Tree are great spots to look for gifts for the “Mamas to be” that I work with. I also love grabbing a yummy lunch from Basic Kitchen or the Grand Bohemian Hotel and walking over to my Alma Mater, the College of Charleston. Basically it is amazing to be at the heart of Charleston every day!

Chocolate or Vanilla? I love vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce! A classic combination!

Coffee or Tea? I can’t go without my cup of coffee in the morning or should I say three cups of coffee

Sunrise or Sunset? Definitely sunset on our boat over the beautiful Charleston waterways!

Sweet or Savory? Savory

Favorite night in? My favorite night in is cooking seafood or some delicious southern fare for family and friends, playing a game, or watching an old movie or a sporting event.

Favorite night out? Certainly one of my favorite nights out is going to watch the College of Charleston play basketball and eating out at Leon’s Fine Poultry and Oyster.

Tell us a random fact people would be surprised to know about you: My first job as an adult was in the jewelry business but once I had my children, I started my own business, a local Charleston Magazine for families called “Moms in the Know.” I did that for twelve years.  It has been nice to come full circle back to the jewelry business!

Tell us a funny moment at 308 Wonderful King Street that still makes you laugh out loud: At Croghan’s we have a lot of social funny employees in every age group! We have people in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and up! It always makes me chuckle when we are all putting out the jewelry and maybe singing songs and talking about movies or tv shows that we are watching and how we all learn something new! Some of us may be singing a song that came out before the other employees were even born and the younger employees telling us about very addicting reality shows and forming a “book club” about it. It is always entertaining and educational at the Jewel Box!

What are your 4 favorite items on our site and why?

1. Art Deco Diamond & Sapphire Ring: This ring is SO beautiful! The sapphires around the center stone are such an amazing accent. The detail in the filigree mounting is incredible, the photos do not do this ring justice!

2. Sapphire, Diamond & Platinum Curb-Link Bracelet: This bracelet is beyond BEAUTIFUL! The stones are gorgeous and it feels amazing on your wrist! The color and style of this bracelet is absolutely dazzling!

3. Temple St. Clair Foglia Double Drop Earrings: I love the blue and green color combination so perfect for this time of the year, and they are fun and elegant all at the same time!

4. Goldbug Bee Mine Earrings: These are so fun and cool, and the length of the earring looks great on those with long hair! The birds and the bees and spring! A perfect spring gift for the trendy young woman!