Late in the night, Destiny Reveles sits in their room, scrolling through the photos they have for their jewelry page.
On their Instagram page, destinys.jewels, they get ready to post a photo of their latest jewelry piece; a 15 dollar layered necklace. The inner part of the necklace is made of minuscule pink, purple and gold beads. The outer part of the necklace contrasts the vibrant color of the inner necklace with large pastel-colored. A single silver butterfly pendant completes what is already a beautiful necklace.
Their thumb hovers over the “share” button displayed on their screen. They tap it. They slump in their chair, reflecting on the popularity of their business.
Inspired by their sister’s passion for jewelry-making, they remember a time when it was just a hobby. What is now a simple bracelet was once a complicated craft that took months to master.
As their phone pings, they sift through the numerous messages in her inbox. Since the start of her business, the way they place their accessories for sale has always been the same. On a scheduled date, which is announced earlier on, Reveles posts a jewelry piece on their page at exactly 6 p.m. Their first come first serve policy ensures that the first person to express interest in purchasing their newest jewelry item has the first right of refusal.
“At first, I did not expect people to buy my jewelry,” Reveles said. What draws customers to each of her pieces is the time and effort it takes to hand make each piece of jewelry and the reasonable pricing that accompanies the colorful design.
Currently, one of their favorite pieces is a bracelet with beaded flowers which they combined with a matching necklace to produce a cohesive set. The colorful beaded flowers reminds them of innocence and beauty sets it apart from others.
“Jewelry-making is special to me because not only do I get to continue doing something that I am passionate about, but I get to see people wear my pieces,” Reveles said. “I feel very proud and happy knowing that people like what I make; It’s almost like being an artist and seeing your work on a person instead of in a museum.”
Seeing how far their business has progressed gives Reveles the motivation to continue growing. The positive messages that people comment on their Instagram page under each piece are their biggest motivation and encourages them to keep practicing. Following graduation, they are determined to sell their pieces on Etsy or Depop.
