Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Pyles.
Hi Amy, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’m Amy, owner, designer, and maker of contemporary mixed media jewelry AMY C PYLES. I officially started my company in 2017 but have been honing my jewelry skills since 2005. My biggest flex is that I am an entirely self-taught metalsmith. At its core, my passion to design stems from two distinct influences — high fashion which encourages me to create bravely, and our earth’s generous bounty which provides the materials I use to do so.
My gem journey began when I started hoarding trinkets as a kid. Sparkly rocks, foreign coins from dad’s business trips, crystal prisms from mom’s sconces, bits and baubles that entranced me. Nearly 20 years later, I found myself taking old jewelry apart and redesigning it with some of those very childhood treasures. I really just made things for myself, but as strangers started asking to purchase my work, I began to sell it.
One night, after commenting on a rather avant-garde necklace I was wearing, a Philadelphia musician invited me to vend at his upcoming event. Among other pieces, I ended up selling that very same necklace for hundreds at his concert and realized maybe there was a market for my work. Thanks to this small success, things got rolling professionally and thereafter, I focused on formalizing a brand, designing a website, and slowly building a following.
A pivotal moment came a year or so later when I received an invite from a RAW: Natural Born Artists organizer to participate in an upcoming show in Philly. This was an opportunity to network with other artists and be formally interviewed by and introduced to a large audience by show host Miss Philadelphia. Afterward, I was awarded the organization’s “Accessories of the Year”, I started to consider making a career of jewelry design. I began pursuing retail placements and opened a handful of wholesale accounts.
Then in 2014, I purchased a jeweler’s torch and things got real. Working with fire and finer metals changed the game for me. I totally fell in love with the process. It was at this point that I began working with gemstones and diamonds and built my reputation around a stone-centric collection of edgy statement jewelry.
Next, I enrolled in the Gemological Institute of America and was certified as an Accredited Jewelry Professional so I could begin working on the Historic Jeweler’s Row in Philadelphia’s Diamond District. This was an immensely important time for me as I learned the business and manufacturing end of things, not to mention I was totally immersed in fine jewelry, a sector I was much less familiar with.
The following year knocked me off course thanks to turning 30, a new puppy, a bike accident, getting married, and to top it all off, a cross-country move from Philadelphia to California — just because.
Once things settled down, I got back to it and landed some product placements in the Bay Area and, ironically, back east in Miami and NYC. I stocked my work at the W Hotel in Times Square where my collection remained for a full year, and I participated in numerous shows to saturate the NorCal market. It was during my first couple of years in CA that I couldn’t seem to get enough of New York. I would travel back and forth every few months for a trade show or a career fair or to shop for unique jewelry materials.
2018 took me to the world’s largest gem fair in famed Tucson, AZ where my love affair with natural gemstones flourished and I developed relationships with stone cutters and gem dealers that would continue for years.
2019 was a beautiful culmination of connecting with move-makers who have helped put things into motion. I was honored to participate in the American Craft Council in San Francisco, a show chock-full of artists I’ve idolized for a decade. I was anonymously nominated to participate in a curated trade show called Metal & Smith in NY where I was awarded “Most Unique Point of View” after showing in 2020. I also scored my first and second press coverage in INSTORE jewelry magazine.
Then came a thing called Covid and in-person retail came to a standstill. I used this time to network virtually and continue to invest in my branding. Luckily, I was working from my home studio so I didn’t miss a beat. My design aesthetic evolved as I focused on silversmithing while integrating unusual stones and producing statement pieces with bold, geometric silhouettes.
Once shelter-in-place ordinances lifted, I participated in as many outdoor craft markets as possible. People were chomping at the bit to get OUT and be among the living again. I found the following year to provide a crash course in direct-to-consumer sales, popup events, visual merchandising, and much more. My eyes were opened when I started doing trunk shows at luxury retailers including State & First, Anthropologie, and others. Aside from the financial success, these shows were crucial to my brand’s growth as they bolstered my confidence, verified an elevated price point, and helped me define my new target market.
To date, my top professional moment was winning First Place for Jewelry at the Beverly Hills Art Show in Oct. 2022. It’s still fresh and I’m still in shock. My 2023 plans are to travel to multiple states to showcase my work as I continue to nurture my Bay Area clientele and hone my metalsmithing skills.
As of winter 2022, I completely transitioned into fine materials including solid gold, sterling silver, and gemstones, bidding farewell to the brass and gold-plated playmates of my past. My intention has always been to create the highest quality jewelry with the wearer at the forefront of my design scope. My future plans include opening an artisan jewelry showroom, location(s) TBD.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
This road is bumpy as hell, but I think most entrepreneurs enjoy the excitement of uncertainty and constant adaptation. That’s why we choose not to work the safer 9-5’s. Being a self-sustaining artist/entrepreneur isn’t for most people, but those who are chosen really have no choice. It’s in our blood to create, create, create. So my biggest challenge is a hypothetical one and would be to take any other road than the bumpy one I’m already on.
On a more cliche note, self-doubt and fear of rejection are huge obstacles. Being a working artist is an exceptionally raw existence, but I have decided to wear my heart on my sleeve (or wrist, more literally) and stake my livelihood on others’ positive responses to it. Yoga has helped me discipline my mindset which has proven integral in self-confidence and taking risks, artistically and financially.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Amy C Pyles designs edgy, fashion-forward jewelry showcasing chain and storied gemstones in bold geometric arrangements. With distinction at the core of my mission, I aim to incite the self-expression of the unconventional jewelry lover and enrich the lives of all who interact with my work.
Each piece of jewelry is passionately created in Napa, CA to arm and empower my wearers with sculptural originality.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My husband Will who puts up with my daily neurosis and keeps me grounded. He truly believes in my vision and abilities, at times, even more than I do.
Parents who fostered my creativity and independence.
Owners of Desumma & Wexler Fine Jewelry in Philadelphia who introduced me to the finer things and provided an informal education of the business world.
Suzy Ekman of Makers Market who is rebuilding the legacy of American-made and has provided countless professional opportunities and support for my work.
My mentor Chris Lapolla who has gotten me out of jewelry catastrophes time and time again and helped me realize I’m not the only one losing sleep over mis-sizing a ring.
VIP clients who support my work and wear it or gift it with pride, especially as the world is so saturated with jewelry options. I feel honored every time my work is chosen.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.amycpyles.com
- Instagram: @amy_c_pyles_jewelry
- Facebook: @amycpylesjewelry
