My Lil Market Mommy Jewelry Etsy Shop

Jeemaa Kauffman

My business was inspired by one of my best friend’s custom necklace request and my own experience with my baby boy. A few years back I opened my Etsy shop to sell my nature inspired whimsical jewelry. At that time, I had a full-time teaching job so I could not always find the time to maintain my shop. When my son was about four months old, one of my best friends asked me to make a nursing necklace for her. I got some pretty beads with different shapes and textures and made one for her and one for myself. I wanted the necklace to be durable and functional – interesting enough to grab babies’ attention but pretty enough that it can be worn as everyday jewelry. My son loved it!! He gets easily distracted during nursing, especially in public. And with the necklace he was more focused. He loved the natural donut stone and really enjoyed exploring the beads. He played with it while I waited in a checkout line or changed his diaper. He tugged on it instead of pulling my hair. I was so excited that I posted the necklace pictures on facebook and it didn’t take long before another mommy wanted one. And my business has been flourishing ever since.

Tell me about your artistic process. How do you choose your materials?
I love finding beautiful pendants to serve as the focal point of my jewelry. Next, I think about the design and look for pieces that compliment and tell stories. After that, I get so excited about sitting down, naming the piece and creating that piece that has been brewing in my mind. When the jewelry is finished, I love showing them to my husband, telling him the names, and asking his opinion about what outfit they might look good with. He is always full of compliments and I never get tired of hearing them.

Here is my Dragonfly Landing Necklace I made a few years ago. We see so many dragonflies as we take walks at the nearby park. When I found this gorgeous dragonfly, I wanted to create a piece that captures those memories. Now, this is not just a piece of jewelry; it is a piece of my life, my memory. With my new passion for making mommy jewelry, the process is very similar. I look for natural donut stones and baby gnawing safe wooden rings as my mommy jewelry focal points. I pay attention to the things that my little man does while I nurse him or hold him. Here is my son chewing on a small teething ring. This is his favorite teething ring. This inspired me to create many of my designs.

I also carefully listen to my mommy friends’ comments, my customer reviews and feedback, and their custom requests. All of this helps me to create new and exciting mommy jewelry.