September 5, 2023 • 41 mins
Join me as I sit down with the inspiring Constance Palamalu, the creative genius behind the high-end jewelry brand, Birthright Foundry. Drawing from her rich Samoan heritage, Constance has successfully carved out a unique space for herself in the world of fine jewelry. We chat about her innovative design process, the fascinating journey of selling her most high-profile piece to date, and the special experience of working with celebrities. Constance's story of embracing her authenticity and staying true to her roots will leave you inspired.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome back everybody to In the Loop.
What is up everybody?
My name is Michael Burpo.
Thanks again for listening toIn the Loop this week, one of my
favorite episodes I've done ina while.
I'm speaking with ConstancePalamalu, who is the designer
and founder of BirthrightFoundry, a new jewelry brand
with lots of influence fromSamoa culture.
(00:23):
Constance was one of the firstsix designers to be mentored by
Lorraine Schwartz in the NaturalDiamond Council.
She's already exhibited at JCKand her jewelry is just
incredible.
If you haven't got a chance tosee it, I would recommend that
you check out her website whileyou're listening.
It's birthrightfoundrycom.
(00:43):
We're talking about how the ideafor this line of jewelry came
to Constance and what she hopesto convey through it.
We're also talking about whatthe process of working with
celebrities is like, becauseshe's had her jewelry be
featured on many differentcelebrities and also in many
different magazines.
It's really interestinglearning about the production
(01:04):
and design side of jewelry, butalso the promotion and marketing
aspect as well.
We also, at the end of theepisode, dive into how Constance
was able to sell her largestand also key point pieces of
jewelry, which went for nearly$200,000, and what the process
of selling a piece like that waslike.
This is one of my favoritetopics and interviews I've been
(01:25):
able to do, and I'd love to domore with jewelry designers, so
if you know someone, maybe shootme an email.
Thanks everybody, enjoy theepisode.
While you're enjoying thisweek's episode, take a moment
(02:05):
and leave us a star rating onthe Spotify mobile app or, if
you're on Apple Podcasts, leaveus a star rating and a review.
It's the best way to help usgrow into.
Show that you really enjoy theshow.
Thanks, and now back to theshow.
Welcome everybody.
(02:27):
I'm joined by ConstancePalamalu, who is the founder and
designer of Birthright Foundry.
How are you doing today,constance?
I'm good, how are you?
I'm doing all right, so a lotof accolades to you.
You're a COO, you're a founder,a designer, a 20 under 40
jewelry retailer.
I mean, first of all, how doyou have enough hours in the day
(02:51):
to do all those things?
And what do you kind of whenyou describe what you do, what
do you say?
Speaker 2 (02:57):
I would say one.
I don't sleep because I havetwo small children.
Wow, and honestly they're alllabors of love, right.
So I love retail.
Like I will never be able toshake that feeling of a newly
engaged couple sending a textsaying she said yes, we're so
(03:20):
happy.
Like that to me is just lifegiving.
So I'll never be able to not bea retailer.
And then Birthright Foundryreally was a culmination of who
I am.
You know.
On one hand, you know I havereally humble beginnings.
My family is American Samoan.
(03:41):
A lot of people don't knowwhere American Samoa is, let
alone really anything about theculture.
And on the other hand, I'm ajeweler.
Like fine jewelry is my newhome, that's where I function,
that's where I know what I'mtalking about.
So it felt really natural tobring the two parts of me into
(04:07):
one space in one effort to bereally authentically myself and
at the same time create a spacefor other people to be more
authentically themselves.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Wow, that's so inspiring it's.
I mean, your pieces I'm sureyou've heard this many times are
just so beautiful and verydifferent than what is so just
out there.
I feel like there's a lot ofthings that are kind of more
down the street, narrow, andthen you guys, as pieces that
have such a unique life and likea story to them, what kind of
(04:40):
inspired you to start, you know,really designing jewelry.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Yeah, I mean really my sons.
Honestly, I wanted, I wantedthem to be able to be proud of
who they are, because we're, youknow, I'm raising my children
in an area that doesn't have alot of pollinations and I rate I
was raised in an area thatdidn't have a lot of
pollinations and I rememberedfeeling like I didn't really
(05:08):
belong and that, not becauseanybody was doing anything to me
, but just by virtue of havingto always explain where my
family was from, I internalizedthat, as you know, not fitting
in and I didn't want, I don'twant my sons to feel that way,
like I want them to be able tosay, yeah, I'm, I'm Samoan and I
(05:33):
live in Annapolis and my dadwent to the Naval Academy and my
mom makes jewelry and you knowlike, and I'm my own person.
That's really what started.
It is.
So it's.
It's a culmination of all theparts of me and a love letter to
my sons.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Yeah, I can see where you got, where you got the name
you know, birthright foundfoundry.
I'm assuming that that probablydid that come easily, naming it
, or was it kind of a realprocess?
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Honestly, everything for birthright foundry has come
really easily, really naturally.
So have you ever read the bookBig Magic?
Speaker 1 (06:15):
I don't think I have.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Okay.
So it's this great book, and inthe book they talk about Genius
and how, like a lot of peoplethink that genius is a quality
that you have, but in a lot ofits earliest references, genius
was like its own entity, like a,like a muse, and it could come
to you and you could harness it,or it could come to you and it
(06:39):
could leave.
So you know Genius and muse andyou know these kinds of things
are really more about like theirown energies that can travel,
and so you know, I I didn'treally believe it.
When I read the book I was kindof like, okay, yeah, that's All
(06:59):
right.
Woo Woo, magic is real, that'scool.
But with the process ofbirthright foundry, I mean just
to walk you through how quicklythis happened, on December, like
fifth, I wrote in my book, inmy like personal journal.
You know, I I don't want mysons to feel like they don't
(07:23):
belong.
I want them to know that theybelong and I want them to know
that, if nothing else, theybelong in my space.
Being fine jewelry and Januaryrolls around, this year, january
6th happens.
No, this was in 21, 21, soDecember 2020.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
I write in my journal .
Speaker 2 (07:43):
You know, like I'm worried about my sons.
January rolls around and I'mkind of like you know I got to
do something, but what can Ireally do?
Like I'm not an anthropologist,I'm not a scientist, like what
am I really gonna do to affectchange for my sons?
And it just came to me like theonly other language I speak is
(08:04):
jewelry.
Fine jewelry is my secondlanguage, so this is how I have
to tell the story and this ishow I have to contribute.
And then, like a couple dayslater, I got this email from the
Natural Diamond Council sayingthat they were looking for
emerging designers.
And it was the Natural DiamondCouncil and Lorraine Schwartz.
And I was like this is amazing,because I love all the work
(08:26):
that the Natural Diamond Councilis doing, I love Lorraine
Schwartz and I also have thisidea.
I'm like then I'm going throughthe, the specifics, and I like,
okay, we're looking foremerging designers with
different ethnic and culturalbackgrounds.
I'm like yeah, check, check.
And then they say you have tohave been in business for a year
(08:48):
and I'm like yeah, I don't havea business at all.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
It's been in my mind for a year to draw that one out.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Not even it's like it's been in my mind for a month
.
Sure and I'm like, okay, butwhat do I have?
And you know, I always hear allthese you know motivational
speakers talking about you knowlike, okay, requirements are
just guidelines, like go for itanyways, right.
And so I'm like I Hate to bethat person because I don't want
to be annoying, right, like Ialready have a career in this
(09:18):
industry, I don't need to alsobe laughed at.
So I reach out to a friend andI'm like Carol, can you tell me
like am I gonna be annoyingpeople if I submit when I don't
have a business, like I clearlydon't meet this key requirement,
but like I feel really stronglyabout what I'm planning.
And so we talk a little bit.
She's like I think you shouldabsolutely do it.
(09:41):
You've got 10, 12 years ofexperience in this industry
under your belt.
So so what that you haven't hadthis specific business?
Like go for it.
So I end up submitting and ILike I write this proposal like
this is my business plan.
This is start to finish likethis is what I'm gonna do, and
(10:02):
it's all like very, veryIntentional, but also like kind
of vague, because I See.
But I put all this imagery intoit and like pour my heart and
soul into it and like, you know,just really Tell everybody,
really just expose myself.
(10:23):
And in this submission and Igot it they selected me as one
of the first six and so I'm like, okay, well, if natural diamond
counsel on the range shortsthink that I can do this, I've
got to do it.
And so by the end of 21 I had,you know, six or seven pieces
and we did press day and youknow, I kind of like introduced
(10:47):
myself super awkwardly to allthe magazine editors and
everybody that was comingthrough and I was like yes, so
here's my soul in seven piecesof jewelry.
Hope you like it.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
What a great story, though, and I mean you guys have
really just took a rocket shipoff and I mean you've been in
just in a list, just in the Justone quick look.
And Forbes Esquire Cosmopolitanharbors bizarre.
I mean you've been on.
You know celebrities like Lizzowearing your pieces.
Does that still feel likebizarre to see yourself kind of
(11:20):
like moving along?
Speaker 2 (11:21):
this fast.
It's super bizarre because Ithink you know, initially, when
I was thinking about it's like,okay, well, I got to do this, I
have to do this, this has got tobe my life's work.
You know I may not see anyreturn on it and that's okay,
because it's just about buildingand telling the story and
(11:43):
really cementing my culture andmy heritage in fine jewelry for
the sake of my children.
And then, all of a sudden, likethat first press day, I was so
nervous, I was like I didn'tsleep the night before because I
I just told my husband likethis is really vulnerable, Like
(12:06):
I made things, I tried to makethings that I hadn't seen
anywhere else, that told a story, that tell a story and they're
very expensive.
It was like okay, so what's theproblem?
I'm like I, what if they hateit?
Like what if they hate me?
(12:27):
Like this isn't this is thefirst time that I've poured my
heart and soul into somethinglike Irregardless of price or
cost or what I think is gonnasell, like I just made these
pieces.
You know, it's totallydifferent than when I custom
design a piece for a customer,like I'm just channeling.
When I'm custom designing, I'mjust channeling what somebody
(12:49):
else wants.
Yeah this was totally differentand that day it was October 14th
2021 I Felt seen like, reallyseen like.
I felt like people came andthey commented on being able to
(13:09):
tell that I knew fine jewelryreally well, wow, but also that
they could still see my heritagecoming through, and it was like
, okay, all right, we're, we'redoing this, I guess.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
You said you started with like seven, seven or so
pieces.
Kind of, how did you just, whenyou start designing I mean
you're you're at a retailjewelry store Are you starting
with, you know, looking atpieces, or do you want to not be
kind of influenced and sort ofstart with pen and paper, or
(13:45):
what is that like designingthose first seven?
How do you even even begin?
Speaker 2 (13:51):
so I Wanted to make sure that I wasn't plagiarizing
anybody else's design work.
So I really didn't look atOther fine jewelry at all,
mm-hmm.
What I did was I looked at myheritage and the the centerpiece
, which is the one that ended upwinning best statement piece
(14:13):
and in store in 22.
It was Very simple.
It was a whale tooth necklacewhich is traditionally passed
down through families and it's asymbol of generational wealth
and you know, legacy andSuccessful haunts, and it's just
(14:34):
, it's a positive thing and it'sit's genderless because it's
really it ends up being worn bywhoever's the important person
of that event, and that kind ofspoke to what I wanted to do.
So that was just really obviousto me that I was gonna do that
in Golden diamonds, which wasreally freaking scary because
(14:56):
the retail on that came out tojust under two hundred thousand
dollars.
Wow, you, you really went forit, yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Yeah, so when you, when you start designing with a
piece like that I Assume thatthere's you know you go through
a whole process before youactually are touching any stones
or or or Metal.
But when it does come down tothat, is this part of the, is it
the grant that you won thatallows you to start to source
(15:31):
this material and allow you to Idon't want to say play with it,
but like start to start Workingtowards having a finished piece
?
Or is it more like you just gotto pour your own dollars in?
Speaker 2 (15:44):
I'm really fortunate in that I was able to blend a
few different resources, so thegrant was huge and you know it's
.
It's funny because, on one hand, I ended up using a lot of
people who I already knew or orpeople that I could have gotten
(16:04):
to through people that I alreadyknew because I've been in the
industry so long.
But Winning the grant reallyhelped solidify that like, yes,
I'm doing this because if I hadasked anybody to support me in
putting diamonds in tribaljewelry Mm-hmm before NDC and
(16:27):
Lorraine Schwartz said that Iwas a valuable contender In this
, you know, emerging designspace there's no way anybody I
mean I would have looked at mecrazy.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
Or you would have had to go, or you would have had to
go much smaller, because mostlikely, if it was, you know, off
your own you know bank accountand you had the fund for the
bill of everything, most likelythe first piece, the statement
piece, would not have been thissplendid, you know, $200,000
retail, yeah, piece of jewelry.
You might have had to gosomething quite a bit smaller,
and not that that stops you frommaking beautiful pieces,
(17:03):
because you can make beautifulpieces with a smaller budget, or
at least just you know startingout.
But it's like someone.
They never kept your creativityand allowed you to really just
kind of run wild.
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
Right, yeah, that's really what it came down to is,
is having the support ofLorraine Schwartz and the
Natural Diamond Council reallygave me freedom and to To do
what I would never have beenbold enough to do on my own so
after creating these for sevenis I'm kind of a.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
I Don't fully understand where the next step
in a jewelry lines kind ofprogression is.
So you have seven pieces, oneof which is this statement piece
which I'm assuming is mostlikely a one-of-one, is it?
Is it taking these other sixpieces and then kind of, is it
(17:57):
serializing them and making themfit to be sold in other jewelry
stores, or is that not the goalat all and you would rather
stick to solely boutique andonly be kind of on Celebrities
and kind of in this, this highfashion kind of sphere?
Speaker 2 (18:15):
That's a good question.
So you know, the collection isexpanded and it's, you know,
closer to 30, 35 pieces that ICustomize for people
specifically, and really Most ofthose pieces were just a larger
conversation, kind of withmyself about how do I take this
(18:38):
big statement piece and Make itmore wearable, more accessible,
more universal, but stillmaintain the soul.
And so that's where the Nepomotif is found in the entire
Nepo collection and it's just,it's really just an elongated
pear shape.
I finished really smoothly andthen I set it upside down like
(19:02):
it's not, it's not super crazy,it's very, you know, it's
organic and like.
Again, to me it was just veryobvious to do and that kind of
has given me some room to, Ithink, have more partners in
retail.
You know, I Think retail isreally important for anybody and
(19:29):
for any brand.
You know, if you look at anybrand that has become a real
brand.
It took Brick and mortarretailers telling the story and
sharing the brand with theircustomers to build that brand.
Like, I know that as a retailer, that In my market I'm the
(19:50):
brand and I bring other brandsto this area and Introduce them
and kind of allow people to maketheir own friendships and
relationships with brands and Ithink that the better retailers
of the world all do that.
So I think for birthrightfoundry, absolutely I.
I want to be in in moreretailers, but they've got to be
(20:14):
the right ones, like we've gota fit and it's not.
You know, I have friends whothey have said you know I like
the line, it's not for my storeand I get it, it's totally fair,
it's really not a brand that'sgonna probably be for everyone.
But you know, for for retailerswho like having a real story to
(20:36):
tell, like being able to have,you know, authentic
communication with theircustomers and you know something
different that they don'talready have.
That's kind of where I thinkwill end up are in those those
retailers are really focused on,on storytelling and so you're
(20:57):
with, is it Zachary jewelers,and yeah, Zachary jewelers.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
So Do you guys carry birthright foundry.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
It's good for business.
Yeah, so it's probably helps.
Do you find that that kind oflike?
You know, I know you wanted tokind of feel like you were
Creating something again veryunique, and you definitely did.
But do you feel like there waskind of like a pull I need to
make something that Would feelat home in this space.
Or is it like, even if you madesomething and it was incredible
(21:31):
and it wouldn't be at home andIn exactly Julie, do you think
that you would have been like alittle bit let down, like ah,
you know, I can't have my piecesin in the space that I work in
every day, or would that havenot even weighed on you at all?
Speaker 2 (21:46):
so I was actually Fully prepared for it to not fit
here.
I kind of figured it's verydifferent from what we sell and
that's okay.
I have the unfortunate job oftelling designers all the time
(22:09):
like I personally love whatyou're doing, but I don't have a
home for it here at Zachary's.
We don't see it fitting here.
I know it's genuinely not aboutnot liking their designs, it's
just business.
I actually had made my piecewith you know I'm probably not
(22:31):
going to be at Zachary's.
I don't want to be burdened bywhat's going to sell at
Zachary's in this.
I want this to be moreauthentic than that.
What ended up happening wasthat I was getting all this
press and people were coming inand they were like well, where
is your jewelry?
You know, like what do you mean?
Speaker 1 (22:52):
The problem has.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
Yeah, they're like oh well, it's just at home in my
dresser.
So, yeah, I have a beautifulround case now here in the store
and it's one of the first casesthat people see and I think,
because it's so different,people stop and then they ask
and it gives my sales team anopportunity to say, yeah,
(23:14):
actually our COO designed thatline and it's been worn by
celebrities that you know.
It's kind of like it worksbeautifully to kind of elevate,
like my position here in thestore, the store's position.
You know, every piece that'sbeen worn by a celebrity has
been purchased through Zachary's.
Speaker 1 (23:37):
Wow, that's actually a real boon.
Yeah for sure.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
Yeah, I mean, we didn't think and that was never
the intention, it just happenedbecause people saw it and we
never knew the power ofcelebrity.
Before that we didn't know thatour customers were going to
care if this exact piece wasworn by a celebrity.
But turns out they do.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
They do, yeah, so I want to stay on that for a
second.
When it comes to celebrity,we've had some clients that have
reached out to celebrities andthey outfit them for special
events like red carpet events.
First of all, what does thatprocess like?
Do you reach out to their agent?
(24:22):
And the other question is likehow do you calculate the ROI?
Because are you gifting themthis jewelry, or is it just
loaning it to them and then theyneed to return it, or what is
that kind of process like?
Speaker 2 (24:36):
So I haven't gifted any jewelry.
It's just too expensive.
Yeah, it makes sense.
You know, even though I've beenreally fortunate to get a lot
of support, I do still have alot of money tied up in it and I
kind of joke with my team like,hey, don't forget to put that
away at night.
(24:56):
That's my son's college fund.
So no gifting.
But as far as gettingcelebrities to wear it, it's
really the relationships thatwere made.
Through Natural Diamond Council, they have a lot of
relationships and there werespecifically two people on their
(25:19):
PR team who were just reallyincredible and not only knew a
lot of stylists and a lot ofeditors, but we're friendly with
them.
So I think it's interestingbecause I always thought that
the celebrity world was soforeign and it turns out it's
(25:40):
exactly like brick and mortarretail Everything's about
relationships.
There are two things you haveto do One, you have to know
somebody, and two, you have tohave something interesting.
That's exactly what we do inretail every day is you meet
people and then you show themsome jewelry and hopefully they
(26:02):
like you and they like what youhave.
So I've been really fortunatethat way where it's all just
been through those connectionsthat have been made and I've
been really fortunate to nothave to pay for placements,
although I know that that is abig as a big thing.
Some celebrities aresupplementing their income with
(26:25):
paid styling.
You see things like oh, anneHathaway was paid some ungodly
amount of money to wear thisnecklace.
Yeah, I'm never going to be inthat world, so I've just got to
rely on people who genuinelythink what I'm doing is cool and
are going to show it and put iton them.
(26:47):
And then again, this is my kidscollege fund, so I don't really
want to just be sending it outwilly nilly to people.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
Get it out.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
Like I saw that, yeah , lizzo wore yours, and then
I've seen that you are obviouslytrying to break into.
That is I guess.
I know that, for example, likemusicians, they come out with
albums every like two, threeyears.
How often do you kind of targetor do you have any idea how
(27:20):
often you're supposed to comeout with a collection as a, as a
jewelry designer?
Is that like a two, three yearskind of thing, or is that, like
you know, every six months?
One year is, I guess.
I don't even have anunderstanding of the timeline.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Yeah.
So I think it's a littledifferent for everyone.
It kind of it kind of seems todepend on who you're catering to
, right?
So some brands that I've metare coming out with new things
daily, like just wheneversomething comes to mind, they
just make it, and then othersare gearing themselves towards
(27:57):
like couture or JCK or whatevershows are big and important for
them.
They're kind of designing on aschedule to produce, you know,
more samples and more styles forthose to keep it exciting.
Because I mean, as a retailer,I think we all know that
appointments can be reallyboring if there's nothing new to
(28:18):
look at and it's like, okay,well, thanks, I'm gonna go now,
shut up my yeah, for me, I amdesigning as I have the capital
to do so.
I have, you know, probably 100plus designs in my mind of ways
(28:39):
to grow and change the line.
But you know I don't want togrow too rapidly and be
unintentional with it and Idefinitely, you know I'm quite
honestly just restricted byfinances.
I mean, I don't have anunending pocket like you know
(29:03):
what a thought, you know commonthing there.
You know we all have a budget.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
All right, everybody, we're going to take a quick
break and hear a word from oursponsor.
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And now back to the show.
And we're back Now.
What do you consider like isnext?
(30:58):
So I feel you have to balance.
You know, designing new pieces,selling old pieces, getting
into new stores, getting intonew shows, obviously publicizing
the pieces, you know pushing,trying to, you know, make
connections, like you said.
It's all about theseconnections.
A lot of the time Do you have,besides focusing on everything,
is there like a specific onethat you think is like the next
(31:20):
step?
Is it to get into JCK orCouture or something like that,
or is it doing something alittle bit smaller, like
attending, you know, an moreindependent jeweler's show kind
of thing as a vendor?
Speaker 2 (31:38):
Yeah.
So I did JCK this summer withWJA's Design Collective and that
was great.
It was great to have a spaceand really again show the people
that I already know that I'mserious about Birthright Foundry
, but I don't.
(31:58):
I didn't love it solely becauseI love attending the show as
Zachary's jewelers, like I lovebeing a retailer at the show and
being able to explore otherdesigners and see what's new and
you know, like that being thefocus for me is really like I
(32:19):
love to go to all the educationseminars at JCK If I have time.
That's where I am Because Ijust love learning and I love
finding out what's new anddifferent in our industry.
So I don't know if I want to doJCK again.
I think any designer who wantsto be, you know, like a high-end
(32:43):
designer has to considerCouture and has to, you know,
want to be there on some levelat some point.
But I think this is kind ofcrazy.
But what I really want to do isdo like a road trip, like with
me and my sisters and my friendsand go around to all of these
(33:04):
different retailers who I followon Instagram but like haven't
been to their store, and justkind of get a sense for what's
the store like?
What are the people like?
That to me, just that's reallywhat I would like to do is just
take it out.
Speaker 1 (33:19):
What a cool option.
Yeah, that'd be amazing, forsure I think it's every time I
go into a jewelry store I alwayslaugh.
Growing up, there was only onejewelry store in the you know
very large region that I'm in.
I'm from the Adirondacks inupstate New York, so we only had
really one jewelry store and itwas, you know, our friends and
(33:39):
I always thought that that'swhat every single jewelry store
was going to be.
And it's not.
They're all kind of have theirown personality, they all have
their own focus.
I didn't realize that someplaces might focus on diamond
jewelry more than fashionjewelry and that there are
different kinds of and itreflects the areas that they're
in.
So I definitely I kind of amstarting to see what you mean
(33:59):
about how some people might justlove your jewelry but it just
might not be the fit for theirstore.
So that's got to be kind ofmaybe difficult or I mean kind
of just an obstacle, I guess.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
Yeah, I think it's.
For me, it's really great toknow both sides of the table, to
know that there are times whenI really like what a designer is
doing, but I just, businesswise, don't have a space for
them and I genuinely wish themall the best and I'm genuinely a
fan of what they're doing.
That knowledge, like knowingthat that's how I personally
(34:36):
feel about it probably makes itdefinitely makes it a lot easier
to hear rejection.
Yeah, I totally agree, you know,and it's good, it makes it.
It makes it a lot moreunderstandable.
But it also helps me, as aretailer, understand just how
(34:58):
much it takes for somebody towalk through that door again and
again, and again.
Yeah, you know, and here no,and they think that they're
gonna be a good fit here and Idon't.
But maybe I'm wrong, you know,like, maybe I should look at it
a second time.
So, yeah, it's very interesting.
Speaker 1 (35:17):
Yeah, and one quick question before you know.
Have you, just you know, wrapthis up and let people know
where they can find you and wecan cut this if you know it
doesn't work out.
But I see that the HeritageDiamond Lulun info piece is sold
out on your website.
Did you sell that piece?
Speaker 2 (35:37):
I did.
Speaker 1 (35:38):
Oh my god, $196,000.
Well, like you said, it's yourcops, which is fine for your son
, so heck, yeah, string upanother one.
I love that boy.
He's pretty soon We'll run itback.
Wow, that's amazing.
Speaker 2 (35:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:55):
Congratulations.
That's super cool.
Thank you.
That must have been anincredible experience to have
that one go through.
That's rather cool.
Speaker 2 (36:03):
It was.
The best thing is that theperson who bought it didn't just
buy that, she also boughtpendants for all of her
daughters.
Speaker 1 (36:16):
Wow, did this person have a connection to you know
Samar, american Samar.
Speaker 2 (36:24):
Yes, yeah, very cool, she does, and she's actually
one of my top clients here atZachary's, I imagine, but she's
really discerning.
So I was actually nervous.
I didn't know if she was gonnalike it enough, because, you
(36:45):
know, some people were like, oh,it's a slam dunk, like she buys
expensive jewelry and you knowand this is Samoan Like of
course she's gonna buy it.
I'm like I don't know.
Though, like she knows what shelikes and she has a really good
taste.
Like you know, we went to Guccihad this really amazing event
for their anniversary their 100year anniversary in New York and
(37:08):
they brought in all the likesuper high end jewelry, and she
was who I she was one of thepeople I took to that and she
like loved it and bought somereally incredible Gucci pieces,
so that was what she had boughtthe year before.
So I was like I don't know,like she's buying Gucci.
Speaker 1 (37:26):
She still has some left.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
Yeah, I like I don't know if she's got the money, but
like, does she have any roomfor me?
Speaker 1 (37:33):
It's amazing yeah that's definitely one of the my
guilty pleasures for content Iconsume on the internet is
seeing like.
But these fashion brands andlike their you know their
unveilings and fashion shows forlike the next season is going
to be is like some of theinfluencers I follow, they go
and they attend yeah, likeGucci's shows, and I think they
(37:55):
had one in like Shanghai andthey had one in Paris and it's
like, oh, one day I'll find away to to sneak into one of
those, but not today, I don'tthink.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
Well, you're on the right track.
Speaker 1 (38:08):
I think there's like lots of media badges that go
around, so I'll say next timeyou're there, you let me know
and I'll see if I can sneak aguess.
Speaker 2 (38:18):
We'll go together, I've been trying to convince
people that we should do like ajewelry, like an insider's this
is embarrassing too Like aninsider's reality show, kind of
like Pawn Stars, yeah, but injewelry, like get a bunch of us
together and just like, yeah,this is what it's.
(38:39):
This is what it's like.
Speaker 1 (38:40):
It's like Pawn Stars and you get to roast the
salesperson who picked up thejewelry line that like no one
likes and no one sells it, andthen they have to sell a certain
amount of it.
That'd be great.
Gotta say he's got a mind forbusiness.
You know how to do this.
Well, as we're wrapping this up, if people want to learn more
about Birthright Foundry, wherecan they go?
(39:01):
How can they follow you?
Speaker 2 (39:03):
Yeah, they can go to birthrightfoundrycom.
You can follow me personally oryou can follow Birthright
Foundry on Instagram.
My personal Instagram andTikTok handle is
ConstanceTheJeweler, just to tryand keep it really simple, and
from there you can always linkto Zachary's Jewelers or
Birthright Foundry.
I try to keep it, you know,interconnected so that if you
(39:27):
can only remember one or theother, you can still get to the
other places you need to be.
Speaker 1 (39:33):
Wow, I will definitely do that and I'll have
all the information in the shownotes below, for, if you're
listening, definitely give her afollow and show the support
because, honestly, there aresome awesome pieces and, like we
said, even if it's not for you,it's really awesome that it's
so different and it is justshowing what jewelry is capable
of.
So I think it's been greattalking to you, constance,
(39:53):
especially because there's somuch story to it.
I think it's been really,really cool hearing about your
process and also kind of likethe journey you've been on.
It's been so fast paced,amazing, thank you.
Speaker 2 (40:05):
Yeah, it's been a great ride.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
All right, everybody.
We'll be back next week,Tuesday.
Thank you All right, everybody.
That's the end of the show.
Hope you enjoyed.
Thank you so much to ConstancePalamolo from Birthright Foundry
for being my guest on thisepisode.
If you enjoyed the talk, makesure you go check out her
jewelry at birthrightfoundrycomand all of her social media,
(40:28):
which will be linked in the shownotes below.
This episode was brought to youby Punchmark and produced and
hosted by Michael Berko.
This episode was edited by PaulSuarez with music by Ross
Cochrum.
Don't forget to rate thepodcast on Apple Podcasts and
Spotify, as well as leave usfeedback at punchmarkcom.
Slash luke and that's L-O-U-P-E.
We'll have another episode nextweek, Tuesday.
(40:50):
Thanks for listening.
Bye.
Welcome back everybody to In the Loop.
What is up everybody?
My name is Michael Burpo.
Thanks again for listening toIn the Loop this week, one of my
favorite episodes I've done ina while.
I'm speaking with ConstancePalamalu, who is the designer
and founder of BirthrightFoundry, a new jewelry brand
with lots of influence fromSamoa culture.
(00:23):
Constance was one of the firstsix designers to be mentored by
Lorraine Schwartz in the NaturalDiamond Council.
She's already exhibited at JCKand her jewelry is just
incredible.
If you haven't got a chance tosee it, I would recommend that
you check out her website whileyou're listening.
It's birthrightfoundrycom.
(00:43):
We're talking about how the ideafor this line of jewelry came
to Constance and what she hopesto convey through it.
We're also talking about whatthe process of working with
celebrities is like, becauseshe's had her jewelry be
featured on many differentcelebrities and also in many
different magazines.
It's really interestinglearning about the production
(01:04):
and design side of jewelry, butalso the promotion and marketing
aspect as well.
We also, at the end of theepisode, dive into how Constance
was able to sell her largestand also key point pieces of
jewelry, which went for nearly$200,000, and what the process
of selling a piece like that waslike.
This is one of my favoritetopics and interviews I've been
(01:25):
able to do, and I'd love to domore with jewelry designers, so
if you know someone, maybe shootme an email.
Thanks everybody, enjoy theepisode.
While you're enjoying thisweek's episode, take a moment
(02:05):
and leave us a star rating onthe Spotify mobile app or, if
you're on Apple Podcasts, leaveus a star rating and a review.
It's the best way to help usgrow into.
Show that you really enjoy theshow.
Thanks, and now back to theshow.
Welcome everybody.
(02:27):
I'm joined by ConstancePalamalu, who is the founder and
designer of Birthright Foundry.
How are you doing today,constance?
I'm good, how are you?
I'm doing all right, so a lotof accolades to you.
You're a COO, you're a founder,a designer, a 20 under 40
jewelry retailer.
I mean, first of all, how doyou have enough hours in the day
(02:51):
to do all those things?
And what do you kind of whenyou describe what you do, what
do you say?
Speaker 2 (02:57):
I would say one.
I don't sleep because I havetwo small children.
Wow, and honestly they're alllabors of love, right.
So I love retail.
Like I will never be able toshake that feeling of a newly
engaged couple sending a textsaying she said yes, we're so
(03:20):
happy.
Like that to me is just lifegiving.
So I'll never be able to not bea retailer.
And then Birthright Foundryreally was a culmination of who
I am.
You know.
On one hand, you know I havereally humble beginnings.
My family is American Samoan.
(03:41):
A lot of people don't knowwhere American Samoa is, let
alone really anything about theculture.
And on the other hand, I'm ajeweler.
Like fine jewelry is my newhome, that's where I function,
that's where I know what I'mtalking about.
So it felt really natural tobring the two parts of me into
(04:07):
one space in one effort to bereally authentically myself and
at the same time create a spacefor other people to be more
authentically themselves.
Speaker 1 (04:19):
Wow, that's so inspiring it's.
I mean, your pieces I'm sureyou've heard this many times are
just so beautiful and verydifferent than what is so just
out there.
I feel like there's a lot ofthings that are kind of more
down the street, narrow, andthen you guys, as pieces that
have such a unique life and likea story to them, what kind of
(04:40):
inspired you to start, you know,really designing jewelry.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Yeah, I mean really my sons.
Honestly, I wanted, I wantedthem to be able to be proud of
who they are, because we're, youknow, I'm raising my children
in an area that doesn't have alot of pollinations and I rate I
was raised in an area thatdidn't have a lot of
pollinations and I rememberedfeeling like I didn't really
(05:08):
belong and that, not becauseanybody was doing anything to me
, but just by virtue of havingto always explain where my
family was from, I internalizedthat, as you know, not fitting
in and I didn't want, I don'twant my sons to feel that way,
like I want them to be able tosay, yeah, I'm, I'm Samoan and I
(05:33):
live in Annapolis and my dadwent to the Naval Academy and my
mom makes jewelry and you knowlike, and I'm my own person.
That's really what started.
It is.
So it's.
It's a culmination of all theparts of me and a love letter to
my sons.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
Yeah, I can see where you got, where you got the name
you know, birthright foundfoundry.
I'm assuming that that probablydid that come easily, naming it
, or was it kind of a realprocess?
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Honestly, everything for birthright foundry has come
really easily, really naturally.
So have you ever read the bookBig Magic?
Speaker 1 (06:15):
I don't think I have.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Okay.
So it's this great book, and inthe book they talk about Genius
and how, like a lot of peoplethink that genius is a quality
that you have, but in a lot ofits earliest references, genius
was like its own entity, like a,like a muse, and it could come
to you and you could harness it,or it could come to you and it
(06:39):
could leave.
So you know Genius and muse andyou know these kinds of things
are really more about like theirown energies that can travel,
and so you know, I I didn'treally believe it.
When I read the book I was kindof like, okay, yeah, that's All
(06:59):
right.
Woo Woo, magic is real, that'scool.
But with the process ofbirthright foundry, I mean just
to walk you through how quicklythis happened, on December, like
fifth, I wrote in my book, inmy like personal journal.
You know, I I don't want mysons to feel like they don't
(07:23):
belong.
I want them to know that theybelong and I want them to know
that, if nothing else, theybelong in my space.
Being fine jewelry and Januaryrolls around, this year, january
6th happens.
No, this was in 21, 21, soDecember 2020.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
I write in my journal .
Speaker 2 (07:43):
You know, like I'm worried about my sons.
January rolls around and I'mkind of like you know I got to
do something, but what can Ireally do?
Like I'm not an anthropologist,I'm not a scientist, like what
am I really gonna do to affectchange for my sons?
And it just came to me like theonly other language I speak is
(08:04):
jewelry.
Fine jewelry is my secondlanguage, so this is how I have
to tell the story and this ishow I have to contribute.
And then, like a couple dayslater, I got this email from the
Natural Diamond Council sayingthat they were looking for
emerging designers.
And it was the Natural DiamondCouncil and Lorraine Schwartz.
And I was like this is amazing,because I love all the work
(08:26):
that the Natural Diamond Councilis doing, I love Lorraine
Schwartz and I also have thisidea.
I'm like then I'm going throughthe, the specifics, and I like,
okay, we're looking foremerging designers with
different ethnic and culturalbackgrounds.
I'm like yeah, check, check.
And then they say you have tohave been in business for a year
(08:48):
and I'm like yeah, I don't havea business at all.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
It's been in my mind for a year to draw that one out.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Not even it's like it's been in my mind for a month
.
Sure and I'm like, okay, butwhat do I have?
And you know, I always hear allthese you know motivational
speakers talking about you knowlike, okay, requirements are
just guidelines, like go for itanyways, right.
And so I'm like I Hate to bethat person because I don't want
to be annoying, right, like Ialready have a career in this
(09:18):
industry, I don't need to alsobe laughed at.
So I reach out to a friend andI'm like Carol, can you tell me
like am I gonna be annoyingpeople if I submit when I don't
have a business, like I clearlydon't meet this key requirement,
but like I feel really stronglyabout what I'm planning.
And so we talk a little bit.
She's like I think you shouldabsolutely do it.
(09:41):
You've got 10, 12 years ofexperience in this industry
under your belt.
So so what that you haven't hadthis specific business?
Like go for it.
So I end up submitting and ILike I write this proposal like
this is my business plan.
This is start to finish likethis is what I'm gonna do, and
(10:02):
it's all like very, veryIntentional, but also like kind
of vague, because I See.
But I put all this imagery intoit and like pour my heart and
soul into it and like, you know,just really Tell everybody,
really just expose myself.
(10:23):
And in this submission and Igot it they selected me as one
of the first six and so I'm like, okay, well, if natural diamond
counsel on the range shortsthink that I can do this, I've
got to do it.
And so by the end of 21 I had,you know, six or seven pieces
and we did press day and youknow, I kind of like introduced
(10:47):
myself super awkwardly to allthe magazine editors and
everybody that was comingthrough and I was like yes, so
here's my soul in seven piecesof jewelry.
Hope you like it.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
What a great story, though, and I mean you guys have
really just took a rocket shipoff and I mean you've been in
just in a list, just in the Justone quick look.
And Forbes Esquire Cosmopolitanharbors bizarre.
I mean you've been on.
You know celebrities like Lizzowearing your pieces.
Does that still feel likebizarre to see yourself kind of
(11:20):
like moving along?
Speaker 2 (11:21):
this fast.
It's super bizarre because Ithink you know, initially, when
I was thinking about it's like,okay, well, I got to do this, I
have to do this, this has got tobe my life's work.
You know I may not see anyreturn on it and that's okay,
because it's just about buildingand telling the story and
(11:43):
really cementing my culture andmy heritage in fine jewelry for
the sake of my children.
And then, all of a sudden, likethat first press day, I was so
nervous, I was like I didn'tsleep the night before because I
I just told my husband likethis is really vulnerable, Like
(12:06):
I made things, I tried to makethings that I hadn't seen
anywhere else, that told a story, that tell a story and they're
very expensive.
It was like okay, so what's theproblem?
I'm like I, what if they hateit?
Like what if they hate me?
(12:27):
Like this isn't this is thefirst time that I've poured my
heart and soul into somethinglike Irregardless of price or
cost or what I think is gonnasell, like I just made these
pieces.
You know, it's totallydifferent than when I custom
design a piece for a customer,like I'm just channeling.
When I'm custom designing, I'mjust channeling what somebody
(12:49):
else wants.
Yeah this was totally differentand that day it was October 14th
2021 I Felt seen like, reallyseen like.
I felt like people came andthey commented on being able to
(13:09):
tell that I knew fine jewelryreally well, wow, but also that
they could still see my heritagecoming through, and it was like
, okay, all right, we're, we'redoing this, I guess.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
You said you started with like seven, seven or so
pieces.
Kind of, how did you just, whenyou start designing I mean
you're you're at a retailjewelry store Are you starting
with, you know, looking atpieces, or do you want to not be
kind of influenced and sort ofstart with pen and paper, or
(13:45):
what is that like designingthose first seven?
How do you even even begin?
Speaker 2 (13:51):
so I Wanted to make sure that I wasn't plagiarizing
anybody else's design work.
So I really didn't look atOther fine jewelry at all,
mm-hmm.
What I did was I looked at myheritage and the the centerpiece
, which is the one that ended upwinning best statement piece
(14:13):
and in store in 22.
It was Very simple.
It was a whale tooth necklacewhich is traditionally passed
down through families and it's asymbol of generational wealth
and you know, legacy andSuccessful haunts, and it's just
(14:34):
, it's a positive thing and it'sit's genderless because it's
really it ends up being worn bywhoever's the important person
of that event, and that kind ofspoke to what I wanted to do.
So that was just really obviousto me that I was gonna do that
in Golden diamonds, which wasreally freaking scary because
(14:56):
the retail on that came out tojust under two hundred thousand
dollars.
Wow, you, you really went forit, yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Yeah, so when you, when you start designing with a
piece like that I Assume thatthere's you know you go through
a whole process before youactually are touching any stones
or or or Metal.
But when it does come down tothat, is this part of the, is it
the grant that you won thatallows you to start to source
(15:31):
this material and allow you to Idon't want to say play with it,
but like start to start Workingtowards having a finished piece
?
Or is it more like you just gotto pour your own dollars in?
Speaker 2 (15:44):
I'm really fortunate in that I was able to blend a
few different resources, so thegrant was huge and you know it's
.
It's funny because, on one hand, I ended up using a lot of
people who I already knew or orpeople that I could have gotten
(16:04):
to through people that I alreadyknew because I've been in the
industry so long.
But Winning the grant reallyhelped solidify that like, yes,
I'm doing this because if I hadasked anybody to support me in
putting diamonds in tribaljewelry Mm-hmm before NDC and
(16:27):
Lorraine Schwartz said that Iwas a valuable contender In this
, you know, emerging designspace there's no way anybody I
mean I would have looked at mecrazy.
Speaker 1 (16:40):
Or you would have had to go, or you would have had to
go much smaller, because mostlikely, if it was, you know, off
your own you know bank accountand you had the fund for the
bill of everything, most likelythe first piece, the statement
piece, would not have been thissplendid, you know, $200,000
retail, yeah, piece of jewelry.
You might have had to gosomething quite a bit smaller,
and not that that stops you frommaking beautiful pieces,
(17:03):
because you can make beautifulpieces with a smaller budget, or
at least just you know startingout.
But it's like someone.
They never kept your creativityand allowed you to really just
kind of run wild.
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (17:17):
Right, yeah, that's really what it came down to is,
is having the support ofLorraine Schwartz and the
Natural Diamond Council reallygave me freedom and to To do
what I would never have beenbold enough to do on my own so
after creating these for sevenis I'm kind of a.
Speaker 1 (17:36):
I Don't fully understand where the next step
in a jewelry lines kind ofprogression is.
So you have seven pieces, oneof which is this statement piece
which I'm assuming is mostlikely a one-of-one, is it?
Is it taking these other sixpieces and then kind of, is it
(17:57):
serializing them and making themfit to be sold in other jewelry
stores, or is that not the goalat all and you would rather
stick to solely boutique andonly be kind of on Celebrities
and kind of in this, this highfashion kind of sphere?
Speaker 2 (18:15):
That's a good question.
So you know, the collection isexpanded and it's, you know,
closer to 30, 35 pieces that ICustomize for people
specifically, and really Most ofthose pieces were just a larger
conversation, kind of withmyself about how do I take this
(18:38):
big statement piece and Make itmore wearable, more accessible,
more universal, but stillmaintain the soul.
And so that's where the Nepomotif is found in the entire
Nepo collection and it's just,it's really just an elongated
pear shape.
I finished really smoothly andthen I set it upside down like
(19:02):
it's not, it's not super crazy,it's very, you know, it's
organic and like.
Again, to me it was just veryobvious to do and that kind of
has given me some room to, Ithink, have more partners in
retail.
You know, I Think retail isreally important for anybody and
(19:29):
for any brand.
You know, if you look at anybrand that has become a real
brand.
It took Brick and mortarretailers telling the story and
sharing the brand with theircustomers to build that brand.
Like, I know that as a retailer, that In my market I'm the
(19:50):
brand and I bring other brandsto this area and Introduce them
and kind of allow people to maketheir own friendships and
relationships with brands and Ithink that the better retailers
of the world all do that.
So I think for birthrightfoundry, absolutely I.
I want to be in in moreretailers, but they've got to be
(20:14):
the right ones, like we've gota fit and it's not.
You know, I have friends whothey have said you know I like
the line, it's not for my storeand I get it, it's totally fair,
it's really not a brand that'sgonna probably be for everyone.
But you know, for for retailerswho like having a real story to
(20:36):
tell, like being able to have,you know, authentic
communication with theircustomers and you know something
different that they don'talready have.
That's kind of where I thinkwill end up are in those those
retailers are really focused on,on storytelling and so you're
(20:57):
with, is it Zachary jewelers,and yeah, Zachary jewelers.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
So Do you guys carry birthright foundry.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
It's good for business.
Yeah, so it's probably helps.
Do you find that that kind oflike?
You know, I know you wanted tokind of feel like you were
Creating something again veryunique, and you definitely did.
But do you feel like there waskind of like a pull I need to
make something that Would feelat home in this space.
Or is it like, even if you madesomething and it was incredible
(21:31):
and it wouldn't be at home andIn exactly Julie, do you think
that you would have been like alittle bit let down, like ah,
you know, I can't have my piecesin in the space that I work in
every day, or would that havenot even weighed on you at all?
Speaker 2 (21:46):
so I was actually Fully prepared for it to not fit
here.
I kind of figured it's verydifferent from what we sell and
that's okay.
I have the unfortunate job oftelling designers all the time
(22:09):
like I personally love whatyou're doing, but I don't have a
home for it here at Zachary's.
We don't see it fitting here.
I know it's genuinely not aboutnot liking their designs, it's
just business.
I actually had made my piecewith you know I'm probably not
(22:31):
going to be at Zachary's.
I don't want to be burdened bywhat's going to sell at
Zachary's in this.
I want this to be moreauthentic than that.
What ended up happening wasthat I was getting all this
press and people were coming inand they were like well, where
is your jewelry?
You know, like what do you mean?
Speaker 1 (22:52):
The problem has.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
Yeah, they're like oh well, it's just at home in my
dresser.
So, yeah, I have a beautifulround case now here in the store
and it's one of the first casesthat people see and I think,
because it's so different,people stop and then they ask
and it gives my sales team anopportunity to say, yeah,
(23:14):
actually our COO designed thatline and it's been worn by
celebrities that you know.
It's kind of like it worksbeautifully to kind of elevate,
like my position here in thestore, the store's position.
You know, every piece that'sbeen worn by a celebrity has
been purchased through Zachary's.
Speaker 1 (23:37):
Wow, that's actually a real boon.
Yeah for sure.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
Yeah, I mean, we didn't think and that was never
the intention, it just happenedbecause people saw it and we
never knew the power ofcelebrity.
Before that we didn't know thatour customers were going to
care if this exact piece wasworn by a celebrity.
But turns out they do.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
They do, yeah, so I want to stay on that for a
second.
When it comes to celebrity,we've had some clients that have
reached out to celebrities andthey outfit them for special
events like red carpet events.
First of all, what does thatprocess like?
Do you reach out to their agent?
(24:22):
And the other question is likehow do you calculate the ROI?
Because are you gifting themthis jewelry, or is it just
loaning it to them and then theyneed to return it, or what is
that kind of process like?
Speaker 2 (24:36):
So I haven't gifted any jewelry.
It's just too expensive.
Yeah, it makes sense.
You know, even though I've beenreally fortunate to get a lot
of support, I do still have alot of money tied up in it and I
kind of joke with my team like,hey, don't forget to put that
away at night.
(24:56):
That's my son's college fund.
So no gifting.
But as far as gettingcelebrities to wear it, it's
really the relationships thatwere made.
Through Natural Diamond Council, they have a lot of
relationships and there werespecifically two people on their
(25:19):
PR team who were just reallyincredible and not only knew a
lot of stylists and a lot ofeditors, but we're friendly with
them.
So I think it's interestingbecause I always thought that
the celebrity world was soforeign and it turns out it's
(25:40):
exactly like brick and mortarretail Everything's about
relationships.
There are two things you haveto do One, you have to know
somebody, and two, you have tohave something interesting.
That's exactly what we do inretail every day is you meet
people and then you show themsome jewelry and hopefully they
(26:02):
like you and they like what youhave.
So I've been really fortunatethat way where it's all just
been through those connectionsthat have been made and I've
been really fortunate to nothave to pay for placements,
although I know that that is abig as a big thing.
Some celebrities aresupplementing their income with
(26:25):
paid styling.
You see things like oh, anneHathaway was paid some ungodly
amount of money to wear thisnecklace.
Yeah, I'm never going to be inthat world, so I've just got to
rely on people who genuinelythink what I'm doing is cool and
are going to show it and put iton them.
(26:47):
And then again, this is my kidscollege fund, so I don't really
want to just be sending it outwilly nilly to people.
Speaker 1 (26:54):
Get it out.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
Like I saw that, yeah , lizzo wore yours, and then
I've seen that you are obviouslytrying to break into.
That is I guess.
I know that, for example, likemusicians, they come out with
albums every like two, threeyears.
How often do you kind of targetor do you have any idea how
(27:20):
often you're supposed to comeout with a collection as a, as a
jewelry designer?
Is that like a two, three yearskind of thing, or is that, like
you know, every six months?
One year is, I guess.
I don't even have anunderstanding of the timeline.
Speaker 2 (27:33):
Yeah.
So I think it's a littledifferent for everyone.
It kind of it kind of seems todepend on who you're catering to
, right?
So some brands that I've metare coming out with new things
daily, like just wheneversomething comes to mind, they
just make it, and then othersare gearing themselves towards
(27:57):
like couture or JCK or whatevershows are big and important for
them.
They're kind of designing on aschedule to produce, you know,
more samples and more styles forthose to keep it exciting.
Because I mean, as a retailer,I think we all know that
appointments can be reallyboring if there's nothing new to
(28:18):
look at and it's like, okay,well, thanks, I'm gonna go now,
shut up my yeah, for me, I amdesigning as I have the capital
to do so.
I have, you know, probably 100plus designs in my mind of ways
(28:39):
to grow and change the line.
But you know I don't want togrow too rapidly and be
unintentional with it and Idefinitely, you know I'm quite
honestly just restricted byfinances.
I mean, I don't have anunending pocket like you know
(29:03):
what a thought, you know commonthing there.
You know we all have a budget.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
All right, everybody, we're going to take a quick
break and hear a word from oursponsor.
This week's episode is broughtto you in part by AccessaVe,
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Embrace accessibility, empowerusers and set the standard for
the industry.
And now back to the show.
And we're back Now.
What do you consider like isnext?
(30:58):
So I feel you have to balance.
You know, designing new pieces,selling old pieces, getting
into new stores, getting intonew shows, obviously publicizing
the pieces, you know pushing,trying to, you know, make
connections, like you said.
It's all about theseconnections.
A lot of the time Do you have,besides focusing on everything,
is there like a specific onethat you think is like the next
(31:20):
step?
Is it to get into JCK orCouture or something like that,
or is it doing something alittle bit smaller, like
attending, you know, an moreindependent jeweler's show kind
of thing as a vendor?
Speaker 2 (31:38):
Yeah.
So I did JCK this summer withWJA's Design Collective and that
was great.
It was great to have a spaceand really again show the people
that I already know that I'mserious about Birthright Foundry
, but I don't.
(31:58):
I didn't love it solely becauseI love attending the show as
Zachary's jewelers, like I lovebeing a retailer at the show and
being able to explore otherdesigners and see what's new and
you know, like that being thefocus for me is really like I
(32:19):
love to go to all the educationseminars at JCK If I have time.
That's where I am Because Ijust love learning and I love
finding out what's new anddifferent in our industry.
So I don't know if I want to doJCK again.
I think any designer who wantsto be, you know, like a high-end
(32:43):
designer has to considerCouture and has to, you know,
want to be there on some levelat some point.
But I think this is kind ofcrazy.
But what I really want to do isdo like a road trip, like with
me and my sisters and my friendsand go around to all of these
(33:04):
different retailers who I followon Instagram but like haven't
been to their store, and justkind of get a sense for what's
the store like?
What are the people like?
That to me, just that's reallywhat I would like to do is just
take it out.
Speaker 1 (33:19):
What a cool option.
Yeah, that'd be amazing, forsure I think it's every time I
go into a jewelry store I alwayslaugh.
Growing up, there was only onejewelry store in the you know
very large region that I'm in.
I'm from the Adirondacks inupstate New York, so we only had
really one jewelry store and itwas, you know, our friends and
(33:39):
I always thought that that'swhat every single jewelry store
was going to be.
And it's not.
They're all kind of have theirown personality, they all have
their own focus.
I didn't realize that someplaces might focus on diamond
jewelry more than fashionjewelry and that there are
different kinds of and itreflects the areas that they're
in.
So I definitely I kind of amstarting to see what you mean
(33:59):
about how some people might justlove your jewelry but it just
might not be the fit for theirstore.
So that's got to be kind ofmaybe difficult or I mean kind
of just an obstacle, I guess.
Speaker 2 (34:14):
Yeah, I think it's.
For me, it's really great toknow both sides of the table, to
know that there are times whenI really like what a designer is
doing, but I just, businesswise, don't have a space for
them and I genuinely wish themall the best and I'm genuinely a
fan of what they're doing.
That knowledge, like knowingthat that's how I personally
(34:36):
feel about it probably makes itdefinitely makes it a lot easier
to hear rejection.
Yeah, I totally agree, you know,and it's good, it makes it.
It makes it a lot moreunderstandable.
But it also helps me, as aretailer, understand just how
(34:58):
much it takes for somebody towalk through that door again and
again, and again.
Yeah, you know, and here no,and they think that they're
gonna be a good fit here and Idon't.
But maybe I'm wrong, you know,like, maybe I should look at it
a second time.
So, yeah, it's very interesting.
Speaker 1 (35:17):
Yeah, and one quick question before you know.
Have you, just you know, wrapthis up and let people know
where they can find you and wecan cut this if you know it
doesn't work out.
But I see that the HeritageDiamond Lulun info piece is sold
out on your website.
Did you sell that piece?
Speaker 2 (35:37):
I did.
Speaker 1 (35:38):
Oh my god, $196,000.
Well, like you said, it's yourcops, which is fine for your son
, so heck, yeah, string upanother one.
I love that boy.
He's pretty soon We'll run itback.
Wow, that's amazing.
Speaker 2 (35:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:55):
Congratulations.
That's super cool.
Thank you.
That must have been anincredible experience to have
that one go through.
That's rather cool.
Speaker 2 (36:03):
It was.
The best thing is that theperson who bought it didn't just
buy that, she also boughtpendants for all of her
daughters.
Speaker 1 (36:16):
Wow, did this person have a connection to you know
Samar, american Samar.
Speaker 2 (36:24):
Yes, yeah, very cool, she does, and she's actually
one of my top clients here atZachary's, I imagine, but she's
really discerning.
So I was actually nervous.
I didn't know if she was gonnalike it enough, because, you
(36:45):
know, some people were like, oh,it's a slam dunk, like she buys
expensive jewelry and you knowand this is Samoan Like of
course she's gonna buy it.
I'm like I don't know.
Though, like she knows what shelikes and she has a really good
taste.
Like you know, we went to Guccihad this really amazing event
for their anniversary their 100year anniversary in New York and
(37:08):
they brought in all the likesuper high end jewelry, and she
was who I she was one of thepeople I took to that and she
like loved it and bought somereally incredible Gucci pieces,
so that was what she had boughtthe year before.
So I was like I don't know,like she's buying Gucci.
Speaker 1 (37:26):
She still has some left.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
Yeah, I like I don't know if she's got the money, but
like, does she have any roomfor me?
Speaker 1 (37:33):
It's amazing yeah that's definitely one of the my
guilty pleasures for content Iconsume on the internet is
seeing like.
But these fashion brands andlike their you know their
unveilings and fashion shows forlike the next season is going
to be is like some of theinfluencers I follow, they go
and they attend yeah, likeGucci's shows, and I think they
(37:55):
had one in like Shanghai andthey had one in Paris and it's
like, oh, one day I'll find away to to sneak into one of
those, but not today, I don'tthink.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
Well, you're on the right track.
Speaker 1 (38:08):
I think there's like lots of media badges that go
around, so I'll say next timeyou're there, you let me know
and I'll see if I can sneak aguess.
Speaker 2 (38:18):
We'll go together, I've been trying to convince
people that we should do like ajewelry, like an insider's this
is embarrassing too Like aninsider's reality show, kind of
like Pawn Stars, yeah, but injewelry, like get a bunch of us
together and just like, yeah,this is what it's.
(38:39):
This is what it's like.
Speaker 1 (38:40):
It's like Pawn Stars and you get to roast the
salesperson who picked up thejewelry line that like no one
likes and no one sells it, andthen they have to sell a certain
amount of it.
That'd be great.
Gotta say he's got a mind forbusiness.
You know how to do this.
Well, as we're wrapping this up, if people want to learn more
about Birthright Foundry, wherecan they go?
(39:01):
How can they follow you?
Speaker 2 (39:03):
Yeah, they can go to birthrightfoundrycom.
You can follow me personally oryou can follow Birthright
Foundry on Instagram.
My personal Instagram andTikTok handle is
ConstanceTheJeweler, just to tryand keep it really simple, and
from there you can always linkto Zachary's Jewelers or
Birthright Foundry.
I try to keep it, you know,interconnected so that if you
(39:27):
can only remember one or theother, you can still get to the
other places you need to be.
Speaker 1 (39:33):
Wow, I will definitely do that and I'll have
all the information in the shownotes below, for, if you're
listening, definitely give her afollow and show the support
because, honestly, there aresome awesome pieces and, like we
said, even if it's not for you,it's really awesome that it's
so different and it is justshowing what jewelry is capable
of.
So I think it's been greattalking to you, constance,
(39:53):
especially because there's somuch story to it.
I think it's been really,really cool hearing about your
process and also kind of likethe journey you've been on.
It's been so fast paced,amazing, thank you.
Speaker 2 (40:05):
Yeah, it's been a great ride.
Speaker 1 (40:07):
All right, everybody.
We'll be back next week,Tuesday.
Thank you All right, everybody.
That's the end of the show.
Hope you enjoyed.
Thank you so much to ConstancePalamolo from Birthright Foundry
for being my guest on thisepisode.
If you enjoyed the talk, makesure you go check out her
jewelry at birthrightfoundrycomand all of her social media,
(40:28):
which will be linked in the shownotes below.
This episode was brought to youby Punchmark and produced and
hosted by Michael Berko.
This episode was edited by PaulSuarez with music by Ross
Cochrum.
Don't forget to rate thepodcast on Apple Podcasts and
Spotify, as well as leave usfeedback at punchmarkcom.
Slash luke and that's L-O-U-P-E.
We'll have another episode nextweek, Tuesday.
(40:50):
Thanks for listening.
Bye.
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