Last spring I had the pleasure of connecting with a very talented and inspiring woman in the local wedding community. We bonded chatting about our boys (we both have 2 sons), our great love for weddings, supporting local and our creative passions. We soon discovered we didn’t grow up very far from one another, and we now enjoy the occasional coffee date and business chat.
Emily’s work speaks for itself, you can feel her passion in each of her rings and her clients love her attention to detail and the sophisticated yet organic appearance to their heirloom jewellery.
After completing our big design project this fall I asked Emily about her experience and business. Today I’m sharing it below as a little Q & A. <3 Enjoy
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Her stunning photography is created by Terri-Lynn Warren Photography
What inspires you most in life and your business? Love inspires me. People’s capacity for kindness inspires me. Mother Nature inspires me. Organic textures and micro patterns found in the wilds inspire me… endlessly.
How and when did you start your business?
I began Locusart Jewellery immediately after graduation from NSCAD University in 2005. During my final year at NSCAD my husband (then boyfriend) and I became engaged. I designed and created my own engagement ring after eight months without one- and turned it in as one of my final assignments. Shortly before we were married Locusart Jewellery was official- and I began slowly building up my studio equipment by matter of priority.
How did I help bring your branding vision to life?
When I started Locusart Jewellery, many moons ago, my narrative was very different. Creating heirloom jewellery was always the goal, but my focus was on designing silver pieces for every day. Statement necklaces and pendants were my best-selling work early on, but eventually, I found it impossible to ignore the calling to create wedding rings. After distilling my aesthetic and channeling my energies into the wedding industry it was quite obvious that I needed to properly brand my work, to accurately describe who I am and what I do.
I passionately believe in true love. The kind of love that is full of joy and tribulation. It is the story-telling that drew me into this art after all. Heirloom marriage rings are meant to be passed on from generation to generation but they rarely travel their journey alone. These rings bear witness to lives, great stories, and are often passed on with passionate tales of happiness and sorrow.
It was important to me that my branding was clean & concise but still conveyed a dreamy element reminiscent of a hand-written love letter. Creative Destiny’s aesthetic was perfectly in keeping with my vision, but it was your lovely personality and honest professionalism that drew me in. As an independent jeweler/designer it is important for me to support local small businesses, I’ve learned that there is an incredible amount of value in trusting others to do what they do best- and in doing so I’ve begun meeting the most incredible local professionals that I am happy to call colleagues. I’m so happy that I’ve trusted this to you.
If you could give a piece of advice to a couple wedding band shopping, what would it be?
This is a fantastic question.
Of course, I recommend choosing independent jewellery designers over industrially mass-produced pieces (though I can see value in all things).
I would advise that the couple be very secure and clear in their aesthetic preferences and that they research jewelers according to who is a good fit for their own personal style(s). If they are drawn to a particular designers aesthetic, research them and view their catalogs of work and compile a short list of questions for the designer before getting in touch.
If a couple has chosen to work with an independent designer I think it’s also important to understand that it is possible that the jeweler has limited staff members (or in my case none at all). Timing is everything, so even if it seems early 6-12 months in advance of the wedding day, I would recommend opening up a dialogue with a designer to ensure that your expectations can be met. Handmade is not often available on a moment’s notice.
I have detailed my own timeline/booking expectations on my website (www.locusartjewellery.com) and always welcome conversations no matter how far in advance they may be.