Anthony Moulder has been a jeweler for 30 years, but he fell into the job somewhat unintentionally, and fell in love with it as he continued to learn.
“My best friend went to jewelry school when we were 19 and 20,” he said. “I was looking through the newspaper, trying to find a job, and I saw an entry-level position polishing jewelry at a big-name shop.”
The longer he stayed, the more he learned, and eventually Moulder found his passion in creating custom pieces.
He likes taking an idea from scratch and creating something new, or repurposing a piece the client might use on a regular basis after changes have been made.
“Jewelry is sentimental to a lot of people, so being able to repair something old or mangled means something when they see it looking brand new again,” Moulder said.
He didn’t take his first formal training class until 19 years later. By then he’d worked at various jewelry stores across Indianapolis and organically learned the ropes.
In early 2019, an unfortunate closing of the store he was working in at the time led to a blessing in disguise.
“I was out of a job on Friday and I opened my own business on Monday,” Moulder said. “My son was home from college at the time, and we started a website and an Instagram page, and I began working out of my house for the first six months.”
By the fall of 2019, Moulder opened his first shop, a 132-square-foot space in Brownsburg’s new Elevate building.
Clients bring their ideas and some examples of the type of jewelry they prefer, and Moulder creates images of what the piece would look like with the stones in place. Once approved, he gets to work.
“I think the designing is the best part,” he said. “I love meeting with people and creating something they’ll enjoy. It’s fun to see those guys come in and they look kind of lost, and I try to make the process easy and comfortable. I want to be helpful.”
The pandemic resulted in supply shortages, but Moulder continued going into the shop and creating. Thanks to his determination and love for the job, the business survived, and today Moulder is in a 1,000-square-foot shop on East Main Street in Brownsburg.
He has just a few display cases, describing the space as “not your typical jewelry store.” Nevertheless, there’s plenty of space for consultation, software design, setting, and finishing those one-of-a-kind pieces. The new space means he can do nearly everything in-house rather than outsourcing portions of the work.
“I’m a small jewelry store but we do it all here, which is unique,” he said. “No stone leaves the building. We just added a laser engraver and I want to continue to grow and do everything under this roof.”
Despite not participating in extensive advertising, Moulder said customers are finding him by word of mouth, and dozens of five-star reviews on Google don’t hurt.
“I’m at the point where I’m figuring out the next step,” he said. “I’m happy where I’m at and I’m never not busy.”
Most of all, he’s thankful for the support he’s received over the years, not only from his customers, but his family and friends too.
“I wouldn’t be where I am without my wife and friends and all the help they gave me,” Moulder said. “My wife said, ‘You’ve always wanted to do this. This is the time.’ My son helps me with all of those time-consuming tasks and my best friend has done the buildouts in both of my shops. I’ve grown from a shop at home to 132 square feet to where I am now. It’s been an exciting journey.”
