A-M: How long have you been making jewelry?
MGW: Since third grade. When I was a child, I made jewelry for fun and sold it to my friends and family. But professionally, we have been making jewelry and selling it for almost five years.
A-M: What drew you to becoming a jewelry-maker?
MGW: Simply put — we both love jewelry. It is our passion and something we both sincerely enjoy. Even when we are not creating pieces, we are reading about different creations that are in the marketplace and thinking about new creations.
A-M: From where does the inspiration for your designs come?
MGW: Our personal styles are classic and traditional, and we strive to create pieces that make a statement with any outfit. We enjoy making pieces that can be worn to your daughter's wedding or your son's soccer game.
A-M: Characterize your jewelry for me.
MGW: Our jewelry is designed and handcrafted using unique gemstones, and some with vintage accents. We finish each piece with the highest quality of sterling or vermeil. We design unique necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Our vision is to create elegant companions to casual and sophisticated attire.
A-M: How did the formation of your business come about?
MGW: Both of us are full-time mothers and we were looking for something to do professionally while not taking time away from our children. We had been introduced by a mutual friend and became fast friends. We both have a love of art and jewelry, and it just started evolving from there. Each us bring complementary skills to the business and that is part of why we have been so successful. Also, we share a vision for our business of making elegant companions for casual and sophisticated attire.
A-M: What do you like about creating jewelry? What's the up side of it for you?
MGW: There are 2 main things that we love about creating jewelry:
It is truly an exciting creative outlet. I love working with my hands, coming up with unique designs that every woman can wear in any setting. It is so exciting to constantly hunt for wonderful ideas for the next creation.
Secondly, we love the satisfaction of having created a successful business and look forward to growing this business for many years to come. We are in 10 different boutiques and museums in Kentucky and Tennessee, with plans to expand.
A-M: What are the challenges of creating jewelry?
MGW: The biggest challenge is balancing our creativity and all the behind-the-scenes issues of running a business. Both of us previously worked for a pharmaceutical company where we gained lots of knowledge in sales and marketing. Thus, we continued to learn a lot about inventory management and relationships while selling our product.
A-M: Are there different pieces/styles/materials you're looking at adding to the collection?
MGW: We have always seemed to base our style on what we like to wear ourselves while keeping up with the latest trends and fashions. We will always keep it true to who we are personally.
On the Net:
www.wandmjewelry.com
