Gem Mi is a small jewelry company I started at the beginning of 2021 that primarily sells statement vintage and colorful rings. We sold out on the day of the launch and were featured in an article by Nylon Magazine titled “19 Plastic, Colorful Rings You’ll Want to Show Off On Instagram.”
TITLE: Founder
YEAR: 2021
GEM MI
GOAL
My initial goal was to build a sustainable jewelry company that was affordable and tailored to the needs of a Gen Z customer base.
Content for the Instagram @gem___mi
Gem Mi Sticker Created by Emma Boudin
PROCESS
In 2020, I noticed colorful statement rings were on their way to becoming a huge trend. There was a gap in the market that I could fill by selling inexpensive, primarily vintage rings that targeted a younger trend-driven demographic. I built the website via Shopify, purchased “deadstock” rings from jewelry stores that had gone out of business in the 80s, 90s, and early 00s, mapped out the Instagram feed, and sent creative PR packages to on-brand influencers.
Content for the Instagram @gem___mi
My Photography, User Generated Content, and Found Imagery
OUTCOME
On the day of the launch, Gem Mi sold out and later sold out again during the second drop. Nylon Magazine featured Gem Mi in an article titled “19 Plastic Colorful Rings you’ll want to show off on Instagram.” Nylon also featured Gem Mi on their Instagram, which has 1.7 million followers, and on their Tik Tok which has 1.3 million followers. Many influencers featured Gem Mi on their platforms, and customers were tagging Gem Mi in their posts. Starting Gem Mi allowed me to feel confident in my ability to predict trends, develop strong marketing and branding strategies, meet PR goals, and build a business from scratch with an investment of five hundred dollars and no paid advertisements.
