An Interview with Emily of Emily's Store

One Business Woman

Emily lives in NW Arkansas.  

She has been making sustainable and ethical jewelry since September 2018.

With over 1,000 followers, and her pieces worn by well-known sustainable bloggers

she is someone you should know about.

Emily's Store

Question: What Got You Into Jewelry Making?

Answer: It's a funny story actually, I signed up for a local craft show in 2018 without really knowing what I wanted to sell. I was like, "hey, I think I'll make some earrings". Everyone was so excited about the things I'd made and I realized then that this is something worth pursuing. My little business has just grown from there. 

Question: How Does Your Jewelry Process Work?

Answer: I use the same 19 gauge sterling silver or gold fill wire for almost everything I make- from rings to earrings. It's really exciting to see a uniform material like wire become something unique and wearable. I have lists I've made of each type of earring and how much wire I need for each piece of jewelry. When I go to make a piece I cut out the wire I will need. Then I free-form the earrings using tools such as my ring mandrel or pliers. I do not focus a lot of time on making the pieces completely uniform, I like how they all turn out as unique individuals. You can tell they are handmade. Then if the piece requires soldering I'll solder them and then tumble them to shine them. The final step is using a dremel tool attachment to smooth out the ends of the earrings so they don't hurt anyone! 

Question: How Do You Come Up With The Designs?

Answer: I think of the jewelry I make as wearable art; it's really interesting to create something that interacts with people's lives so personally. To create a new collection I go through a multi-step process on the way to having a new cohesive group of pieces. When I am coming up with new jewelry ideas I draw out as many things as I can think of, filling up pages and pages with potential pieces. The next step is going through and picking out the ones I think will work the best and are the most visually appealing. Then I make some prototypes of the pieces. This is important because sometimes a drawing on paper doesn't translate into a three dimensional piece. Making the prototypes is my favorite part of the design process; it is exciting to see my ideas come to life! Then after figuring out which ones work I finalize the collection, writing out the measurements of the wire I used so I can make more of the piece later.

Question: What Are The Benefits Of Being A One Woman Business And Why Would You Encourage Others To Do So?

Answer: If you have an idea and are willing to put in a lot of work I think having your own one-person business is a really fulfilling and worthwhile thing to do. I am all for people making their ideas a reality and sharing them with the world! Being a one-woman business means I can schedule my time the way I want to and have freedom over the things I create. I am able to fill my time with things that I am passionate about and interested in. There are parts of running a business I am a complete beginner at and I get help from people who know way more than me: like photography, marketing, and graphic design. I am definitely not a lone ranger doing everything without help. I think it would be impossible to do something really well on your own without a community around you supporting you.  

If you're looking for a one of a kind piece of jewelry 

be sure to check out Emily's store using the link above.

Also, give her a follow on IG - Emilys.social

Thank you for reading!