Today we’d like to introduce you to Savannah Jones.
Hi Savannah, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
As a child, I grew up collecting small objects and trinkets- treasures kept in shoe boxes under my bed. I have always had a fascination with jewelry and wearable pieces of art. My mother was a bench jeweler and an avid collector of antiques and jewelry she would find at estate sales and auctions. I would go through her jewelry box of loose gemstones and antiques and dream of the types of people who had worn these pieces generations before. Fast forward to my early 20’s. I was living in Whistler, British Columbia and met my now-good friend Miriam De Langley who was a well-known jeweler in the community. She invited me into her studio to play around and I instantly fell in love with making jewelry. It was there that I made some of my first wax carvings and shortly after, I enrolled in a two years Jewellery Art and Design program in Vancouver BC. I took a variety of classes such as metal techniques, gemology, CAD design, and drawing. I loved school but I was more excited to dive head first into running my own business and being my own boss. Soon after school a friend and I invested in outfitting a workshop- complete with jeweler’s benches, kiln, grinders, polishers and more and opened a studio in East Vancouver. From there I became a vendor at a number of artisan markets around the city where my pieces became quite popular. Then covid hit and things really changed for everyone! My boyfriend and I decided to move back to Montreal Quebec where he is originally from. I used 2020 to figure out where I wanted things to go. It seemed everything was switching to online sales. I used that year to rebuild my business from the ground up. I rebranded, made a new easy to navigate website, designed new packaging and print material and created and launched four fine jewelry collections – many pieces continue to be my best-sellers. I design and craft all of my jewellery from concept to finished piece and complete almost every step of production in-house from my studio in the Eastern Townships Quebec.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Business definitely has its ups and downs- especially the jewelry industry and you really need to learn how to roll with the punches. Luxury items are usually the first thing people cut back on in a recession. The equipment you need to start can be expensive and mistakes are costly and time-consuming. You usually have a lot of cash flow tied up in inventory. Also, being an artist operating a fine jewelry business you are constantly dancing on this line of creating collections that you know will sell and taking more risk creatively on pieces that may not do so well but fulfill your artistic need. It’s a constant struggle as an artist to find that balance. That’s why I love doing custom work so much because it really gives me that chance to explore new ideas and concepts.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in repurposing family heirlooms and custom jewelry. I have a number of fine jewelry collections listed on my website that are best sellers such as the Laurely Rings and Starburst rings. A lot of my pieces are hand engraved making each one truly one of a kind. I find there is so much jewelry out there that all looks the same and tends to be very generic. I love hand-engraved pieces as these techniques really set you apart from the mainstream stuff- giving the jewelry that unique handmade feel. This year I was featured in Conde Nast Traveller magazine which was huge for me. I used to read the magazine in my early 20’s when I was traveling – and a little lost in life – sort of surreal to see my jewelry featured inside!
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
My best advice would be to talk to as many people as you can, find out as much information about your industry as possible. Pick people’s brains – if they will allow it! Doing Markets and shows are also another great way to meet customers and other business owners in a creative field. People are usually really helpful when it comes to sharing tips and tricks to how they got successful, so don’t be afraid to approach people. Lastly, learn from your mistakes and don’t mull over them- celebrate your small victories! Business is a combination of peaks and valleys and always remember why you are doing it when the times get tough. Perseverance and believing that you can is everything!
Contact Info:
- Website: savannahjonesjewellery.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/savannahjonesjewellery/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/savannahjonesjewellery
Image Credits
image 1,2,3,4 (starting from headshot) – Madeleine Luise Arena Image 5 – Savannah Jones Image 6 Stan Truyzky image 7 Sayde Jabra Image 8 By Up Close Image 9 – Savannah Jones
