Why I Started Abby Sparks Jewelry
In celebration of ASJ’S upcoming 5th Birthday, I am going deep into the archives to share memories as my company leads up to its 5 Years of Sparks Anniversary Party on September 27th.
Many of you know me and have worked with me directly, but an ever growing amount of people (bless employees!) don’t know who I am, nor the story and values behind the company you chose to bring your jewelry stories to life. So before we celebrate together at our big 5th Anniversary party next week, I want to share a bit about myself and my path.
Last week, I shared with you the vision board that started it all, and how powerful it was to dream about and set intentions in the years right before I launched my business. This week I want to share more about my big WHY. Don’t get me wrong, I love jewelry and started designing it as a child, but that certainly wasn’t enough to warrant completely changing career paths, taking a huge financial leap and starting a business.I started Abby Sparks Jewelry because I felt like the jewelry industry was broken.
(Abby Sparks Jewelry first logo, first sign.)
We buy jewelry for ourselves and gift it to loved ones to celebrate life’s biggest moments: finding your soulmate, wedding anniversaries, births, graduations–the absolute biggest personal and professional milestones. And yet the jewelry buying process is totally impersonal. I wanted to create a different experience; not a jewelry store, not simply “point-and-buy” or “click-and-buy.” We deserved another option.
And so I created the anti-jewelry store, with nothing for you to buy and only things to muse about and make. I opted for a design studio instead of a traditional store because I believe that each one of us is one-of-a-kind, totally magical, just as we are…and our jewelry should reflect that, especially for the big moments.
Every single one of us has our own unique combination of personality and soul attributes. Add to that your personal story, all of the trials, tribulations and experiences…that’s pure magic in my eyes. Then, when you find your person, well then we have something that has never existed before. And oh man, that spark can move mountains! To me, no spark is the same. No connection is the same, no love is the same, and no two people are the same. This is the flicker that started my business and the north star that guides it and me today. My company exists for those looking for jewelry with meaning, made just for my clients’ unique stories, for their magical connections. For their spark.
Every piece of jewelry I create is made only one time, for one person. While my company may have my namesake I don’t have a branded look or visually matching collection like most jewelry designers, and I have been criticized since day one for this. Little known fact, I tried to go down the collection route one time, years ago. Every piece was one-of-a-kind, but it’s not what people wanted, and good business means making decisions based on what people want, not what I want for them-that’s what everyone else is doing. I’ve certainly experienced being “encouraged” by others to settle for something that’s not quite right and this inspired me to do the exact opposite in my company. I have nothing to outright sell in my design studio . It’s not about jewelry designed around my vision, or what I like, or what I want to be branded as. It’s jewelry designed around you: your story, your values, and your style. Five years later, I feel pretty darn proud of following my instincts and not offering *my* branded, single look to the world because it allows me to instead be inspired by someone else.
It has taken me a long time to be able to scale my business and to capture in words and processes how I discover the best design for my clients. It can get pretty deep. The secret ingredient to my design magic is that I get to know my clients on a real level and I ask the hard questions. I need to know what makes you YOU, and what makes up you and your partner’s special “‘zing”. . It’s way more than round diamonds, halos, and prongs. I want to know about your values, your lifestyle, your passions, your story. Only then can I curate jewelry around your deep and intimate story.
So why did I start my business, in a nutshell? It has taken me 5 years to be able to put my big “why” into (concise) words. Because jewelry is one of very few ‘things’ that is passed onto future generations. It needs to be made to last a lifetime, and then some. Because all the good things in life mean more when we lend our hearts and efforts to their creation. Because sometimes the little things ARE the big things. And because I understand that no spark is the same.
Whether you know me well, or we’ve worked closely on your own design, or maybe we haven’t even met just yet, I hope you now know a bit more about the tribe you’re a part of and the heart and soul behind the company you chose to be part of your story. I can’t wait to meet you for the first time, and to see again those whose stories I’ve helped bring to life, a la sparkle.
-Abby
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