Today we’d like to introduce you to Janine Gerade.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
It all started with my grandmother. She let me play with her costume jewelry box. I really loved playing with the jewels and trying them on. I’d pretend they were far away treasures and I was a princess.
I loved art and crafts as long as I can remember, Making beaded safety pins for my sneakers in grade school and I made them for friends too. Taking every art class Holliston High offered, I craved more. Took jewelry courses at the Decordova Museum and the Danforth as well. When I graduated High School, I went to the Art Institute in Boston. Thereafter, I continued my education and finally graduated from Mt. Ida in Newton with a degree in Graphic Design. The day I graduated, I bought the flower shop I was working at in Needham from my friend. That taught me all I needed to know about retail, almost like a second degree.
In between that time and now, I was raising my daughter, making jewelry at home and working various part-time jobs. At various times I was a floral designer, administrative assistant for a well-known image consultant and finally Jewelry Instructor at Michaels. That last job provided me with the push and confidence that I could sell and make jewelry as a part time job. Selling at shows did not fulfill my ambitions, I needed something more permanent. My friend called me and wanted to share a studio in the Water Street Mill so I jumped at the chance. I was at the mill for three years and made wonderful friends but I was on the top floor with little visibility. Kate from Kamala called me and offered me the front of her old store location on Union St. and I said YES! This got me down to walk in level. I was there almost a year when she chose to expand her business and consolidate the two locations under one roof called Kamala Boutique & Gifts. It was a great decision and worked out best for both of us. I have space to make more jewelry and even teach a few students. I enjoy helping people recycle older pieces of jewelry to freshen up the design or repair it. So far it’s been a good 3 months there and I love being part of the community. I graduated high school here and lived here over 28 years but have never felt more connected than I do now.
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?
When I was in the 4th floor studio I didn’t have any foot traffic. Although I came and went as I pleased, I wasn’t making walk-in sales. Once down on the ground at the Unions St. Location I had people come in on the weekends mostly.
Now I do have people walk in but I need to keep consistent shop hours. Now my daughter is in grade school I can do this. I am honing my skills with social media promotions and am expanding sales through my website. Getting my creations in front of millions of viewers worldwide.
Please tell us about Janine’s Jewelry Design.
I create jewelry from beads, resin, clay and sterling silver. I design by hand most of the time. I especially love to redesign vintage jewelry and repair jewelry made of metal and beads. I use beads and materials not commonly found such as crystal clay which is a two part epoxy cement for Swarovski crystals. I make pendants with this and beads for a sturdy hand designed pendant.
I make jewelry that is there to buy, I also make custom designs per the customer’s wishes for special occasions. Some examples are:
Custom resin pendants with dried wedding flowers
Initial jewelry
Knotted bracelets for the bridesmaids
Photo charms for the bride’s bouquet etc.
Some repairs I do are:
Switch earrings from pierces to non-pierces and vice versa
Change clasps to magnetic for arthritis sufferers
Switched chains
Restringing
I am proud of my creations and how they bring joy to the people who purchase them. Nothing is better than seeing someone out and about wearing my designs and the fact that a lot of my business is word of mouth,
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
As I said earlier, I loved playing with my grandmother’s jewelry and making beaded pins for my friend’s shoes. I also loved making beads from macaroni.
Pricing:
- Repairs are reasonable starting at $5 for a quick stretch bracelet restringing
Contact Info:
- Address: 841 Washington Street
- Website: www.janinedesign.com
- Phone: 508 306-1064
- Email: info@janinedesign.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/janinedesign
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/janinejewelry
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/janinedesign
- Other: www.etsy.com/janinedesign
Image Credit:
Photos courtesy of Janine Gerade
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