Is this thing on? 🎤

Hello and welcome. To preface this, I would like to acknowledge that this entire blog is my thoughts and opinions from my point of view and experience. That being said, let's get started.

My name is Jenna Sloane. I started gem cutting in June of 2021 and like I do, I took my hobby a little too seriously and eventually had to start paying taxes. My background originally is in Industrial design, this is how I learned sketching, prototyping, manufacturing processes, UX/UI, and CAD. After completing my undergrad degree, I moved from Detroit, Michigan to Charleston, South Carolina where I worked as a bench jeweler for 9 months while also taking side jobs managing social media accounts, and cutting gems to pay the bills. While I learned a considerable amount working as a jeweler, I learned that my heart was in the gems and not the metal. I will admit that working as a jeweler has put me at an advantage as a lapidary so I understand what it is that jewelers and setters are looking for in the precious stones that they buy.

This isn't where my small business story started though. In high school, I made pinecone pendants and submitted them to a scholarship application in hopes of showing my breadth of creativity along with drawings, paintings, and other works of art. While I didn't end up receiving the scholarship, I did end up with the start of my first business. I loved having the opportunity to make my own money on my own time while still in school, I started to take it more seriously the summer before college by building a website and actively posting on social media platforms. 5 years into making pinecone pendants, I decided it was time for a shift and bought my first faceting machine. I started cutting on a Facetron but now cut on a Gem Master 2.

After I graduated undergrad, a week later, I moved to Charleston, South Carolina, to work as a bench jeweler. I also learned more about sales, website building, jewelry photography, and social media management. I did this over a span of 9 months all while cutting stones after work. I then attended the Tucson gem show, found new opportunities cutting stones, went back to Charleston, and put in my 2 weeks 2 days after returning from the gemshow. I then moved across the country to Oceanside, California where I work full-time as a gem cutter.

I am incredibly grateful that at this point in time, I am able to work for myself full-time and create pieces that other people take the time to admire and eventually adorn.