There are more valuable ways to show allyship than posting a black Instagram square; make one of these small businesses your starting point, as six designers share their experiences as Black jewelry designers right now.
The movement for racial justice triggered by the murder of George Floyd continues to rock cities around the world, led by communities of color that have already borne the brunt of the coronavirus epidemic. But there are more valuable ways to show allyship than posting a black Instagram square; make one of these small businesses your starting point, as six creatives share their experiences as Black jewelry designers right now.
The fine jewelry landscape is not crowded out with Black-owned businesses, but in industry circles, a few names command universal respect. Jacqueline Rabun, known for her beautifully minimalist jewelry, has her own successful brand of 30 years standing alongside a long-term relationship with Georg Jensen. Vania Leles is behind Vanleles, the first fine jewelry house in London’s Mayfair with African roots and ambitions to become a top-ten player. And Jamaica-born Matthew Harris of Mateo New York helms a contemporary jewelry brand stocked internationally.
“I’ve always considered Black fine jewelry designers to be unicorns,” says designer Valerie Madison. Fine jewelry is an expensive world in which to establish a business and minority jewelry entrepreneurs often have to work harder to secure financing and gain a foothold. “It is an honor to be in the position I am, but it is also a lonely place. I don’t see many black guys stepping into jewelry,” says Terry Castro of Castro NYC.
Some small Black jewelry businesses have seen a surge in interest in recent weeks, but with it comes a bittersweet awareness that customers have found them via articles like this one and heightened media coverage of racial injustice. “Of course I would like for Almasika to feature in the listings of top Black business owners,” says founder Catherine Sarr, “but I also feel these lists shouldn’t need to exist in the first place. Black business owners should already be present alongside other designers.”
Overall however, there is a feeling of confidence that the current groundswell of support will translate into a shift in public perception, leveling the path to business success. Here are six perspectives, and six businesses worthy of your support.
Valerie Madison: “I have not received anything but kindness from the industry, I just wish there were more people of color in it”
With an environmental science degree to her name, it’s no wonder that Valerie Madison’s fine jewelry draws beautifully on the natural world.
