John Ehlke - Captain of Carats

Hi, I am John and welcome to my shop! My interest in jewelry started when I was quite young. Between my aunt’s big mine cut diamond and my mother’s hand wrought sterling flatware I fell in love with precious metals and sparkling jewels. When I was in my twenties I began working in mall jewelry stores, which was enjoyable, but full of pressure to ram the sale through and move on to the next customer. That was, and is, not how I like to interact with customers.

After I left retail I worked in the corporate world while completing my undergraduate and graduate degrees. Mixed in with these studies I also took classes through the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). Currently, I am in the process of completing my Graduate Gemologist degree (GG). Besides my formal studies I enjoy reading books on jewelry, tableware and antiques, and some spicy romance novels. . . LOL.

I live in the Driftless region of Wisconsin and Devils Lake state park is in my backyard. My weekends are often filled with hikes through the bluffs and prairies, regardless of the weather. The outdoors often inspires my color choices and styling for custom designed jewelry.

Please enjoy the shop, reach out with questions, and watch us grow!