Pieter Andries Hye
Honorary Consul for the Kingdom of Belgium
Founder & CEO of Pieter Andries Companie
Born in the Belgian Congo
On December 12th, 1947, Pieter Andries Hye was born in the Belgian Congo on a missionary post – he was the first of six children. Pieter’s father had been commissioned by the Belgian government to mine gold and minerals in the Congo, while his mother worked with local nuns in the outpost.
Life was a constant struggle for Pieter and his family, as they faced several outbreaks of malaria, one of which tragically claimed the lives of one of Pieter’s brothers.
Surviving the Congolese Revolution
In 1960, during a Congolese uprising led by Joseph Kasa-Vubu and Patrice Lumumba, thousands of colonists, missionaries and locals were massacred. Pieter’s family was airlifted out of the area by Belgian paracommandos and narrowly escaped death.
Their family later learned that their rescue was orchestrated by a priest from the missionary post his mother worked with, Father Joseph Laenen.
Master Goldsmith Designation
After returning to Belgium after the tragedy, Pieter enrolled at the prestigious Technicum Londonstraat in Antwerp, Belgium, to become a jeweler and goldsmith. He grew to be one of the top artisans in his class, mastering over forty different disciplines from design to metal-smithing. At eighteen, he earned the designation of Master Goldsmith under the tutelage of his professor and mentor, Paul van Dessel. It was during this time that Pieter learned that true luxury is in the details.
De Beers Designer of the Year Award
As a wholesale jewelry manufacturer, Pieter Andries Hye received numerous international awards for jewelry design – including the renowned De Beers Designer of the Year Award in 1979 for his Anniversary Bracelet design.
HP Creations
In 1983, Pieter Andries Hye and his wife Marilyn moved from California to Grapevine, Texas to build the wholesale jewelry company, HP Creations.
Manufacturing fine jewelry sold across the country to stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Macy’s, Pieter and Marilyn found great success with their company. However, after yet another catastrophe in Louisiana, where Pieter was robbed and nearly killed on the road traveling with his jewelry line, Pieter and Marilyn decided to start a new venture.
Opening of Pieter Andries Jewelers – Westlake, Texas
After being in the wholesale business for 15 years, Pieter and Marilyn envisioned a new enterprise – a retail jewelry manufacturer selling directly to the public like Harry Winston, Cartier, and Tiffany. They wanted to build the finest jewelry store in America.
Opening their first store in Westlake in 1992, Pieter and Marilyn worked diligently to build a loyal clientele by creating one-of-a-kind jewelry and maintaining the highest standards in consumer education and service. Pieter’s experience in manufacturing jewelry for other retailers, and his partnerships with the finest diamond houses in Europe, enabled him to create his own jewelry collection without the need for intermediary suppliers.
Opening of Pieter Andries Jewelers – Southlake, Texas
In 2000, after success with their first store in Westlake, Pieter built a brand new showroom and state of the art manufacturing facility in the nearby Southlake area.
Although it has been renovated since its inception, this showroom still serves as the main storefront of Pieter Andries Jewelers today.
Philanthropy & Southlake’s “Citizen of the Year” Award
Over the years, Pieter Andries Jewelers has supported many organizations in the Southlake area including the DFW Humane Society, Southlake Rotary Club, North Texas Shield Foundation, Bob Jones Nature Center, Miss Southlake Pageant, and Southlake Historical Society.
Because of his outstanding service to the community, Pieter Andries Hye was awarded Southlake’s “Citizen of the Year” in 2005 by the Southlake Chamber of Commerce.
Certified Gemologist Appraiser
In 2011, Pieter Andries Hye earned the title of Certified Gemologist Appraiser, CGA, from the American Gem Society, AGS, an association of professional jewelers in the United States and Canada.
The Certified Gemologist Appraiser accreditation is the highest level of achievement in the jewelry industry. Currently only about 400 AGS members in North America have earned this prestigious professional title.
Honorary Consul for the Kingdom of Belgium
In 2016, Pieter Andries Hye was elected by the Belgian government to receive the prestigious title of Honorary Consul for the Kingdom of Belgium for North Texas and Oklahoma.
Pieter Andries Jewelers in Southlake, Texas now serves as the Official Consulate.
In 2018, Pieter Andries Hye was chosen to be one of the five panelist of judges for the AGTA Spectrum Awards – the world’s premier colored gemstone and cultured pearl jewelry design competition.
Pieter Andries’ Passion Continues
Today you will either find Pieter in his Southlake store schmoozing with customers, or traveling the world to hand-select the world’s most beautiful diamonds and gemstones for his jewelry. Meanwhile, his wife, Marilyn, is retired, and paints many of the beautiful paintings and backdrops for the Southlake showroom.
Despite the many challenges and hardships he has faced, and in some ways because of them, Pieter tirelessly continues to push forward in his mission to give back to the community, mentor the future generation, and to create fine jewelry made as perfectly as humanly possible.