By Joy Donovan Brandon
Photography by Thaddeus Harden
Pieter Andries Hye glides elegantly across the dance floor with his wife, Marilyn, opening a black-tie gala with a graceful waltz.
He confidently leads.
Well-balanced, creatively assured and well-timed.
He applies the same poise and polish he uses to dance to his life’s work as a jeweler.
Pieter, who for decades has operated a custom design business also bearing his namesake, is as well known in North Texas for his community involvement as he is for his jewelry business. Now 78, he has considered the timing and balance of his life, flirting with retirement after 60 years, so his son Luc can take the lead.
“That’s ultimately my vision for the future of the beautiful brand of Pieter Andries Jewelers,” Hye says of this hand-off. “I’m following so many other great jewelers before me, like Mr. Cartier, Mr. Harry Winston, and others.”
Even though Pieter now spends a lot of time in Arizona, he will remain a co-owner with Luc, who became a senior advisor on Jan. 1, managing the daily operations of the Southlake store’s staff.
“Luc has the entrepreneurial spirit to carry it on,” Pieter says. He jokes that his own new title is “M&M,” an acronym for “motivator and mentor.”
Decades ago, Pieter came to the U.S. to pursue the American dream. Jewelry was his family’s business, and he was ready to extend their reach.
“America is the biggest market for fine jewelry in the world,” he says.
As a citizen of the world who speaks four languages in addition to his native Dutch, Pieter’s background is hardly typical.
Born in the former Belgian Congo, he became a graduate goldsmith after studying at the Technicum Institute in Antwerp, Belgium, and a master goldsmith at the Art Academy in Pforzheim, Germany. Eventually, he solidified his business acumen by acquiring an accounting diploma from Middenstand School in Borgerhout, Belgium.
Pieter worked for the family business in Europe as a goldsmith, gemologist, designer and buyer, picking up honors along the way, including first-place honors in a DeBeers’ jewelry design contest in 1979. By 1983, he was persuaded to explore business opportunities in North Texas. During this time, SH 114 was scarcely a sliver of a road, and the anticipated economic impact of Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport lured him to Northeast Tarrant County.
Once there, he created jewelry for giants in the industry, like Tiffany & Co., Saks Fifth Avenue, Harry Winston and Linz before opening his first eponymous store in 1992 in Westlake’s Solana area.
Becoming a U.S. citizen in 1994 was a highlight for Pieter, but it was also when he learned the hard knocks of American capitalism.
But dance taught him that the show must go on, and like a dancer who misses a step, he determinedly carried on with a smile.
“It wiped me out, but I did not give up,” he says.
“The past is the past. We can only enjoy a solid future when we build a firm foundation. Never give up. Always look forward.”
His popular Southlake store opened at 2525 E. Southlake Blvd. in 2000. His beloved wife, known in America as “Marilyn,” but whose given name is Marie-Helene, also helped with the business. Together, the two ingrained themselves within the community.
Not only were the pair fixtures at black-tie galas, but they also often generously donated fine jewelry to non-profit organizations’ fundraisers. The couple belonged to five different chambers of commerce, with the family firm being named business of the year and Pieter named citizen of the year, too.
Pieter has remained active in civic groups, devoting much of his energy to local Lions Club chapters, where he has served in various leadership roles.
With a deep commitment to his community, Pieter’s business thrived as well. The late King Baudouin of Belgium commissioned him to create jewels for visiting heads of state, and in 2016, King Philippe of Belgium appointed him as the honorary consul for the Kingdom of Belgium.
Today, he remains one of approximately 400 of the American Gem Society’s certified gemologist appraisers.
In his life, balance is as essential as dancing, and Pieter knows how to keep gliding. A proud father of three adult children, Luc, Dirk and Kathleen, he has been married to Marilyn for 43 years.
And as smoothly as a dancer changes steps without breaking rhythm, the family jewelry business transitions from one generation to the next. The Hye family expects most customers never to notice that there is a new lead.
“The name will stay,” says Luc. “The legacy is what’s important. If your business is operating really well, why change it? Dad built a fantastic company over the years. I’m not going to re-invent the wheel.”
As Pieter continues to dance away from the spotlight with his wife in the long gallery of their Arizona retreat, he will also be designing two jewelry pieces per day, forever in search of balance and beauty, navigating life as he does dancing.
“It’s God’s will, to see beauty and create beauty,” he said.