Holden and Faye may have a diamond ring, but I have an entire store full of them. It’s not a huge space, but we have a storefront in one of the most coveted parts of the city with a stable of chic customers to match. And it’s ours. Sophie and I opened it last year after years of planning; I handle the business side while Sophie masterminds our jewelry design. Running our own business felt like a natural choice after growing up underfoot in Mom and Dad’s store, the largest boating shop in Portland, Maine. When we were young, we loved to hang out after school at the jewelry boutique next to Mom and Dad’s place. Helen, the owner, was like the eccentric, indulgent aunt I always wanted. She’d let me try on every sparkly thing in the store and tell me stories about her two failed marriages and her romantic dalliances in far-flung destinations. As I got older, I started asking more serious questions about the jewelry: the story behind why she acquired each piece, how she works with customers to create bespoke works of art, and what makes each item so valuable. She taught me that jewelry isn’t just a product; in order for a customer to make a purchase, they have to develop a sentimental attachment to it that goes far beyond the price tag.

Helen retired and shut down her boutique during my senior year of high school. She said she was too old to run the business anymore, and I knew she was right, but I was upset. I missed spending time in the shop with her. It was a pivotal year for me; I was applying to colleges and browsing course catalogs, dreaming up a future for myself. That’s when the first seeds of my idea to open my own jewelry shop began to sprout. Eight years later, Brooklyn Jewels was born.

Grandma and Grandpa each left money for me and Sophie in their wills when they passed. We pooled it to open this store. The first year for any small business is notoriously make-it-or-break-it. We just hoped to stay afloat. We never expected to land the occasional celebrity client or build such a massive following on Instagram (100,000 strong and counting). I use @brooklynjewels as both my professional and personal account—it’s 90 percent jewelry shots with a few personal photos thrown in. Sophie never wanted to be the face of the brand, so I’ve gladly stepped in. We’re even doing well enough that we could afford to hire Jess, our resident sales specialist/office manager/all-around wizard. She’s Helen’s grandniece. When she got laid off from her position assisting a fashion stylist, we stepped in to hire her as a favor to Helen.