Jessica Handelman grew up in the wholesale gold and diamond industry, as the daughter of one of Canada’s premier wholesale distributors. With an eye for trends and an inside connection to the gold and diamond global supply chain, she saw an opportunity to disrupt the industry by offering excellent pricing on beautiful merchandise directly to the consumer with the exclusive service of a luxury concierge.
Jessica Jewellery began as a small Toronto-based business in 2015 that started as a favour to help friends with their special purchases. Since then, Jessica Jewellery has scaled to a global online boutique of fine jewellery, while continuing to specialize in exclusive bridal and fine design.
Read our exclusive interview with Jessica to know more about her and her business.
Please introduce yourself to our readers.
I am the owner and founder of Jessica Jewellery, a fine jewellery brand located in Toronto, Canada. I am a mom of two little ones!
Tell us about your education.
I went to the Rotman School of Business at the University of Toronto. I graduated with honours with a specialty in Business Strategy and Management, and a minor in Economics and Finance.
Immediately after graduating, I was hired by the Bank of Montreal in downtown Toronto. I completed a rotational program in Wealth Management for two years where I worked across four different lines of business including BMO Private Bank, BMO InvestorLine, Strategy and BMO Nesbitt Burns. Upon completing the program, I worked in the finance department for Investor Relations for one year. My final stop before venturing off on my own was in the Portfolio Advisory Team at BMO Nesbitt Burns. My colleagues and I were responsible for portfolio management, stock recommendations and market oversight for private clients of BMO Nesbitt Burns. I learned a TON at BMO and it was a fantastic entry into the working world.
How did your love affair with jewellery begin?
I grew up in the jewellery industry, as my parents own and operate a wholesale manufacturing and distribution company for fine jewellery. I spent many summers working at my parents’ office and that was where I was exposed to the industry, built a detailed eye, and learned the ins and outs.
What are your earliest memories of learning your family’s craft?
I used to sit in the back room of my family’s office organizing bracelets, packing packages and doing all sorts of tasks to help out when I went to work with my dad. In my teen years, I remember my dad including me in meetings with his suppliers and letting me help him pick pieces for his own company.
Why did you feel the need to establish your own business?
I didn’t feel the need; rather I recognized the opportunity. Given my connections in the industry, I had and still have unique access to suppliers that I wouldn’t have if not for my parents’ company. Because of this advantage, I had access to inventory such as gold and diamonds, without having to make the huge financial commitment that most of my peers have to make. Between these connections, my ability to offer great prices, plus top quality, I could uniquely position myself and stand out from my competition.
When was Jessica Jewellery launched?
My online store launched in October 2018, however I started with private clients in 2015.
What are the key principles that you follow at Jessica Jewellery?
Our key principles are: trust, exceptional service, and a pricing and quality guarantee.
What challenges did you face at the stage of establishing your business?
Time management has always definitely been a challenge. When I started, I was building up the business while working in a fast paced environment at BMO. I never wanted my “day job” to suffer and I am very professional and detail oriented in all that I do. I gave it my all during my work day, which began at 6:30 am, and then once markets closed and I wrapped up for the day around 5 pm, I began meeting with clients for my jewellery business. It was challenging, to say the least. Then when I went off on my own in 2018, my husband and I decided to start a family and my first child was born in 2019. Again, time management was a challenge, and it hasn’t really gotten easier as we’ve continued to grow our family alongside growing a business! I give motherhood my all, too, and as a result I work a lot of nights.
Why did you choose to specialize in exclusive bridal and fine designs?
It became natural as friends and friends of friends asked for my help with their first-time “large” purchases. They knew my connections, knew me as a person, and asked if I could help them out. Once I started, it naturally evolved and spread as my clientele was so happy with the value, the quality, the price, and the beautifully finished product. Another element that differentiated me was that I was creating the rings from a female perspective, knowing what would and would not be important to the end user (in many cases). Many of my male clients appreciated this, as they didn’t even know to think about these details.
Can you walk us through the process behind your gorgeous custom designs?
For engagement rings, we start off with an online questionnaire. Every client fills one out, and then we schedule a call once I have the information I need. The call goes over the process, the financial element and timing as most important. If the client is on board to proceed, then I will go back to my sources and select diamonds that fit their priorities and achieve their vision. I present the hand picked diamonds via email with pictures, details and my thoughts, and then we often set up a meeting to review in person. Some clients feel comfortable picking just from the email exchange, but most want to see the stones in person. At our meeting, we place the stones in empty ring settings to get a visual of the final product, and discuss other ring elements.
The client reviews a mock-up before we proceed to production, but once they give me the seal of approval to proceed, then the ring gets made!
What sets Jessica Jewellery apart from other jewellery brands?
We’d have to ask my clients! However, to differentiate myself, I am very transparent, and truly spend time hand picking a curated selection. I keep the client informed and really listen to their needs and wants. I sit with the client to ensure they’re comfortable.
How often are you creating new jewellery?
Every week! I start custom pieces typically 1-2x per week. For my online collection of ready to shop jewellery, we aim to launch new products every month.
Which trends are dominating this year in the Jewellery collections?
We are definitely seeing a lot of people wanting bezel settings (i.e. a gold border around the stone) for non-engagement pieces like necklaces, earrings, rings. Thicker gold pieces are in style, however our delicate designs are always popular. I’m currently working on more chain-style earrings and statement rings.
Are you thinking of opening a physical store?
We do not have any plans to open a physical storefront.
What are some of your future plans?
I’d love to collaborate with some bigger brands to create co-designed products. I also love philanthropic projects. In April 2020, I designed a bracelet where proceeds went to charity and it was such a hit. I’d love to partner with more non profit organizations on these types of pieces.
Can you share some tips and tricks for managing a thriving business while parenting?
I’m also looking for tips to parent and work! It’s really hard and I can’t advocate for my “way” as I’m not living such a balanced life. I work a lot of evenings and weekends. I’m lucky to have flexibility but the one thing I need to do better at is to do one thing at a time. If I’m with my kids, I need to be solely with my kids and not take calls/try to get through emails. If I’m working, I do need to step out. It’s something for me to work on as my kids get older.
What are your personal secrets for success?
If I told you, they wouldn’t be secrets.
Share some of your hobbies.
I love spending one on one time with my husband. I love a good workout. I love walking the aisles of grocery stores and food markets. I’m a novice gardener, and once upon a time, I used to paint abstract art.
How important is it to support local women-run businesses?
I think it’s important to support well-run businesses, regardless of gender and geography. It’s great to support those around us but ultimately when looking at small businesses, I think a well made product that is good quality, reasonable price, and sold by a friendly person is most important.
