Jim Petterec doesn’t know how many of the rings he sold last month ended up under an evergreen tree in homes in the Tri-Cities or how many served as the traditional centerpiece of a romantic evening.

But Petterec, owner of JP Jewelers in St. Charles, said regardless of their destination or the mode of delivery, he sold a few more of his precious metal and gemstone creations than in years past, making for a more joyous holiday celebration for him.

“We had a nice, brisk December,” Petterec said. “We’re still looking over numbers, but from what we can tell, it seems to be one of the better ones we’ve had in the past five or six years.”