about girl in the pearl

Ten years ago, a friend who admired my design sense and creativity asked a favor of me: she had invited some friends in from out-of-town to celebrate her birthday and wanted twelve unique bracelets to give as gifts. Although it seemed like a daunting challenge, I was honored that my friend would entrust me with something so meaningful to her, and I decided to dive in headfirst.

So, armed with details about what made each woman unique, I put a lot of care into defining palettes, sourcing materials, and finding the right interactions between colors and textures. I purchased beautiful tags and ribbon and hand-wrote each woman's name on one side of the tag and on the other side wrote "girls in the pearl" (as they were staying with a friend in Portland's Pearl District).

Needless to say, I adored the process, and it showed in the final product. As a result, the bracelets were an overwhelming success and these first "customers" became my biggest fans and encouraged me to pursue handmade jewelry as a business. I was unsure at first, but the more I thought about it and the more friends I witnessed doing what they loved for a living, the more it seemed like the path for me.

Over the past ten years, a combination of loyal customers, the support of other entrepreneurs, and my own devotion to creating new pieces has led to my jewelry being featured in boutiques around Oregon, Washington and California, and Girl in the Pearl is evolving into more than I ever imagined. I still take the same care in creating every piece I bring to market, and the positive feedback I receive is always a thrill.

Thanks so much for coming by!

- Heather