Most customers are looking for value. They want the best product they can get at the best price. And the best price usually means the cheapest. No one haggles up. In the jewelry business it kind of works the other way. Diamonds aren’t just precious; they’re priceless. “Priceless” is another word for “expensive.”

Consider the tradition of spending three months pay on a diamond engagement ring. The whole concept is about measuring how you love someone by how much you spend on them. In that environment, it’s unusual for a jeweler to market their products as a “value.”

Mattie and Blake Gautreau, married themselves they help other couples find the perfect symbol of their eternal love

Blake and Mattie Gautreau have another approach. Their shop, Acadian Estates and Custom, can get you whatever precious stone you want, and they can do it at a good price.  You want a 6-carat diamond? Well, they can get you that. Or they can upcycle your outdated family heirlooms.

Acadian is one of the few jewelry shops that actively buys pieces from the public, instead of on consignment. They also retrofit legacy jewelry into new fashions.

How to stay happily married when your spouse is also your business partner: “Mattie’s also a wine rep so we always have bubbles in the office”

Blake and Mattie are married, and Blake comes from a family of retailers. His family owns and operates Acadian Pawn. Mattie also works as a wine sales rep.

Out to Lunch Acadiana is recorded live over lunch at Tula Tacos and Amigos in downtown Lafayette. Photos by Astor Morgan.