Today we’d like to introduce you to Elisa Browsh.
Elisa, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My journey into the world of jewelry has been long and circuitous. It goes back to when I was 17 and started making beaded earrings and necklaces. I absolutely fell in love with jewelry art. I was obsessed! I enrolled in CU-Boulder for cultural anthropology and took metalsmithing classes in my spare time. When I graduated, I decided to pursue a career in the jewelry business instead of going to grad school and got an internship with a local jeweler in Boulder. I was working jewelry retail and learning to be a goldsmith when things took an unexpected turn, and the opportunity to go to a black pearl auction in Tahiti fell into my lap. I jumped at the chance and spent the next 12 years in the wholesale gem trade importing Tahitian pearls. I moved to the San Francisco Bay area and bounced between Hong Kong for buying trips and Hawaii for sales trips. It was a fun adventure and the travel was great, but when the recession hit, my business suffered and I moved back to Boulder to re-invent myself. I think like a lot of people at that time, I was forced to re-evaluate everything I was doing in business from the how’s to the why’s. After eight years in Colorado, I’ve re-built Elyria Jewels (formerly Elyria Pearls) as a handmade jewelry design studio, working with a metalsmith much more skilled than myself to realize my vision. I still have the pearl connections that I made during my importing days, and I use Tahitian and freshwater pearls in the Elyria Jewels line. I love being my own boss, and living and creating jewelry on the Front Range.
Great, 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?
I don’t think entrepreneurship is generally an easy road. Over the years I’ve been in business there have been lots of obstacles and I’ve seen other small business owners face their share of frustrations. What I like about being an entrepreneur is it forces you to be creative and solve those hard problems and adapt to the circumstances. So, the same thing that makes running your own show difficult also makes it rewarding. Having your own business takes more from you than you expect, but it gives back to you in ways you can’t anticipate.
Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I’m a jewelry designer and oversee a small studio operation. Elyria Jewels pieces are handmade in Colorado, and we emphasize fine craftsmanship and unique gemstone selection. My goldsmith, Kate, and I have a production line but also enjoy creating unusual, one-of-a-kind pieces. We especially love working with rustic gemstones — mostly diamonds, moonstones, and pearls that contain beautiful imperfections and inclusions and make each piece of jewelry unique. We’re also in the process of expanding our use of lab-created diamonds and Canadian diamonds so we can offer strictly ethical alternatives to traditionally-sourced diamonds. Elyria Jewels are sold through a handful of retail stores across the United States, as well as through our own online store.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve benefited from using?
I use tons of resources and I love podcasts! I listen to the Flourish & Thrive podcast by Tracy Matthews for information specific to the jewelry world, and Girl Boss Radio for inspiration from other women in business. Ramit Sethi for financial advice, Marie Forleo for business and marketing. Some books I’ve recently read on business and social entrepreneurship are Profit First by Michael Michalowicz and This is No Ordinary Joy by Sarah Symons. For fun, I listen to the Uncanny Japan podcast, Stay Tuned with Preet Bharara, and Hot Mic with Dan Savage. And I can’t stay off Instagram.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://elyriajewels.com
- Phone: 303-416-5599
- Email: hello@elyriajewels.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/elyriajewels
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/elyriajewels
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/elyriajewels
Image Credit:
photo 1 San Francisco, Lydia Daniller, photo 2 Hong Kong, Agnes Chan
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