I did a thing guys! I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Sara Harowitz for The Georgia Straight. You can read the article HERE.
Holidays 2023
I’m back!
I’d be lying if I said my trip wasn’t exhausting. It was fun. But really tiring! Despite visiting quite a few places in Greece, we still managed to take it really slow. It was hard at first because I’m used to running around like a chicken with my head cut-off who struggles to enjoy the moment. But in hindsight, I’m realizing that it was busy accommodating and chasing a two year old so the extra slowness is what we needed to unwind.
In Spain, we just hung out. We had intended on taking some day trips but honestly, with Atlas hating his stroller, we decided that wandering around drinking coffee was what we needed to do!
If you are waiting to hear from me, I’ll be in touch soon!
Go Solo Interview
I recently did an interview with Go Solo for their Entrepreneurial Stories. You can read the interview here. Here’s a sneak peak:
Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in jewellery but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Alicia Agarrabeitia, Founder of AA Goldsmith, located in New Westminster, BC, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I am a goldsmith and jewellery designer, but some people call me the "jewellery magician." I specialize in melting down old, unworn jewellery and turning it into something new! Every jewellery box is a treasure chest for me! I also create one-of-a-kind jewellery collections that I sell on my website. The hardest part about making jewellery, is having to sell it!
Tell us about yourself
When I'm not making jewellery, you can find me drinking coffee, reading books, being my neighbourhood's self-appointed cat and flower photographer, hoarding gems and stationary, and building lego sports cars for my five-year-old.
I grew up in the jewellery business (my dad is a goldsmith), and I truly love what I do! My biggest motivation (other than paying the bills) is seeing the joy on people's faces when I turn jewellery they really didn't like into something they love!
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I'm most proud of my resilience! I am always learning, and if something doesn't work out, I take the learning lesson and move on. Thanks to my curiosity and resilience, I have a growing and thriving business, which means I ALWAYS have work, and that is a huge accomplishment coming from days when I used to have to hold a part-time job to pay the bills.
Read the rest of the interview here.
Want to work with me this year?
It is NEVER too early to get your order in! Seriously! I am currently taking appointments for end of February and suggest getting in touch as soon as possible if you would like custom work or if you would like to order for a special event this year.
Here are some deadlines to keep in mind!
Mother’s Day: order between now and deadline of April 8th.
Graduations: order between now and deadline of May 13th.
Father’s Day: order between now and deadline of May 13th.
Wedding Bands: order at least two months ahead of wedding.
Shop Talk with Louanne Midgley
I recently did an interview with Louanne for Shop Talk: a video podcast for entrepreneurs. Watch above or over on Shop Talk (here)!
A mutual friend, artist Kathleen Tennant (see her art here and the cool ring she commissioned from me here), introduced us and Louanne ended up being my last Metamorphosis volunteer! You can see her metamorphosis here.
I always get nervous when I do video interviews because I ramble a lot! Louanne did such a wonderful job of editing and incorporating photos into the video that distract from my rambles! But in all seriousness, she masterfully executed and edited this wonderful video that includes several different elements and I’m so grateful for the experience!
I never thought about video much until last year when I read a business book that talked about how in an age of image overload, videos catch peoples’ attention. The video Louanne created for my business is such an asset to have as a business owner and I think any small business would benefit from such an impactful marketing tool!
About SHOP TALK
There are millions of small businesses in the world. Most are led by founder entrepreneurs. In common among them is a drive and a desire to learn and push boundaries.
[Shop Talk] hopes to capture the truth of business building, the behind-the-scenes look at well earned wins and tough lessons, and what we’re all trying to do, which is to follow our passion and share our passion with others.
Learn more here.
Christmas Deadlines
SHIPPING
Last year there were shipping delays. This year, they are predicting even bigger delays.
To make sure orders arrive in time, the last day to ship both nationally and internationally is December 1st and shipping costs will be more than usual.
After December 1st, there are NO GUARANTEES and shipping WILL COST MORE.
These aren’t just my rules! You will find that most people are in the same boat! So please, please get your orders in early if you intend to support my business over Christmas.
CUSTOM ORDER DEADLINES
The last day to place custom orders for fine jewellery is November 15th. Why? A piece that normally takes 3 weeks to make, may take an extra week or two because of how busy everyone is during this time of year.
The last day to place orders for sterling silver jewellery is December 1st. Why is this later than fine jewellery? Because sterling silver jewellery is less complicated. If you want a complicated silver piece, I might not be able to get it done in time. So please don’t wait last minute to ask!
After those days I may still be taking orders but whether I can get your request done in time will depend on what you want made or how many other orders I have. I already have 6 Christmas (that were placed by mid-October).
Questions?! Don’t hesitate to ask!
10 year jewellery anniversary
Happy jewellery anniversary to me!
It’s been 10 years since I left my publishing career to start making jewellery and boy does it feel like time really does fly! Thank for your being here and supporting me on this journey!
Here are 10 things I’ve learned about switching careers and running my own business:
I used to constantly wish I had started making jewellery sooner but I’ve come to realize that wasn’t what I was meant to do. After highschool, I thought about following in my dad’s footsteps and becoming a jeweller but I didn’t. I often think about how much farther along in my jewellery career I would be if I had started ten years sooner. I would be celebrating 20 years in the industry now! But my life wasn’t meant to be that way and I love a lot of the experiences I had in my publishing career days so I’m happy things worked out the way they did.
I used to put a lot of pressure on myself to be as good as my dad but I’ve realized that his skill level is something that took him a long time to learn and as such might take me a long time to learn!
Adding to that, I may never be as good as my dad. That used to really make me stress about not starting my jewellery career sooner. I felt like I wasted ten good years. But here’s the thing, I don’t have to be as good as my dad! I can be good in my own way!
My style is evolving and that is ok! Sometimes I wish I had a more pronounced jewellery style but I think my lack thereof is what has taught me what I know and what has helped me succeed. Because I haven’t stuck to a certain style, I can do and learn more!
Although we learn through trial and error, it’s also ok to ask for help. Why spend 50 hours doing something when you could cut down that down to 20 hours simply be asking for help?!
It’s ok to admit to people when you have no idea what you are doing. I used to be scared to tell people I didn’t know how to make what they wanted because it made me feel and sound like an amateur. But here’s the thing, a) there are people who specialize in certain aspects of jewellery making which means it’s actually smarter for me to contract them out as it saves me time and money, b) it actually gives customers peace of mind knowing that you’re bringing another expert on board , and c) it’s crazy to think that everyone can do everything!
You can’t let peoples scarcity mindset get you down! I used to get really bummed when I tried making friends with other jewellers but they weren’t interested at all. Like why don’t they like me?! WHO CARES! The way they react to me is their problem, not mine.
Which leads me to: GROWTH MINDSET! It really is the only way to succeed in business. I’ve gotten farther along in my jewellery career being positive, building relationships, and helping others than thinking I should keep everything I learn to myself because there isn’t enough pie to go around.
Never take your peers for granted! This might seem obvious but over the years I have seen many people ask my dad for favours but then not return them. I have also seen how often people help my dad because he does people favours but more importantly, respects their time and pays them on time.
Don’t forget to work ON your business! Sometimes we get so busy working in our businesses that we forget to work ON them. Working IN your business means getting the actual work done. Working ON your business means working on backend tasks like marketing, education, etc. You can only grow your business so much by working IN it. At some point you need to work ON it to successfully manage growth. As an entrepreneur, sometimes you might be embarrassed that you let certain aspects of your business go so long without managing them. It’s ok! You were working and getting the job done! But eventually those backend tasks have to get done and you can ask for help. Furthermore, don’t be surprised if those backend tasks need to be revisited every couple of years. When your style changes, maybe your website will too, etc. It’s all part of the entrepreneurs journey!
Do you have any important business tips/wisdom to add for anyone starting or resetting a business?
Display is FULL!
My display cases have been empty for awhile and now they are FULL!
Hard to keep them full when I’m taking most of my inventory to events! This year I only had 2 events but for some reason my brain couldn’t compute filling the display in between events. I blame covid.
Anyways, everything is ready for your last minute Christmas shopping needs! Referrals only and viewings are by appointment only. Masks and sanitizer necessary (I have a big bottle)!
See you soon!
Christmas Shipping Deadlines
Hello friends! Christmas is just around the corner and I wanted to remind everyone of some VERY important Christmas shipping deadlines:
Last day to place custom orders for Christmas that will be picked-up: December 1
Last day to have your online international order shipped: December 1
Last day to have your online Canada order shipped: December 4
Last day for New Westminster pick-up: December 23
New Westminster showroom is open by appointment only
Gift cards are available! Can be used online/in person
If I forgot something, please feel free to ask!
I'm not sure what Christmas will look like for you this year but if you choose to support my small business or any others, we thank you times a million!
30 Day Posting Challenge
Hi everyone! It’s September and all that back-to-school energy has me feeling inspired to do a 30 day posting challenge! Head over to my Instagram to follow along! Have lots of pretty things to share this month!
Crystal Oracle Deck
Got this crystal oracle deck and I love it! I got it from Amazon because the local stores I frequent did’t have it! It doesn’t have all the crystals I work with but it’s got the basics!
FOREST 2020 is here!
“A walk in nature walks the soul back home” - unknown
This collection is inspired by meditative walks in nature. I am lucky to live in place full of trees and magical forests. The last few months have made us all slow down and I’ve used a lot of that time to connect with nature. As a result, it became more important than ever to help do my part for this beautiful world we live in. I have decided that $5 from the sale of each item in this collection will go towards planting a tree with Tree Canada (learn more here).
I am happy to finally share this collection with you and I hope it inspires you to spend more time in the forest!
CUSTOM RING EVENT
A couple years ago, I saw that Picot Collective had partnered with Gemspell to create a custom ring event. I thought, how cool! I want to do that! I recently reached out to a local store to create my own custom ring event. And here we are! It’s happening on June 8th at Good Omen in New Westminster. Good Omen is a wonderful little store and I would recommend popping in to see the trove of treasures they sell! See more at their website.
In a nutshell: you pick a design, a stone, and I make the ring! There will be three price tiers:
1: $85-$100
2: $105-$155
3: $160-$225
I will have a selection of design ideas and stones available to you! Although I will have designs for customers to choose from, I am open to making small adjustments to those designs in order to make a ring my customers will be thrilled with!
Interested in having a custom ring made? Reserve a spot here.
POP-UP SHOP
One of my goals for 2019 was to have a pop up shop. When I booked the space in December, April 27 seemed so far away. Now that April 1st is upon us and there’s only a month to my pop-up shop, 1) I can’t believe just how quick time flies and 2) I’m starting to panic!
I mean I’m excited but also panicking. I want to make sure I have enough jewellery made! I hope you’ll pop by for a visit. Also, my pop-up shop is just in time for Mother’s day (two weeks before). Furthermore, I’ll be beside a couple other cool local establishments so it’s worth coming by and visiting all of us to see what your local community has to offer!
MORE METAMORPHOSIS!
Metamorphosis 2015 is over! It was such a wonderful experience! Thank you so much to all my volunteers! I look forward to another year of surprise jewellery! Thanks in advance to everyone who signed up for 2016. And for those I couldn't squeeze in to 2016....
Due to popular demand, I have decided to offer Metamorphosis as an anytime service for $100!
During 2016, you can book the service at any time without having to wait for "your month" and the turnaround to get your jewellery will be faster.
For $100, I will convert your unwanted silver and gold jewellery into something new. I will take your likes/dislikes into consideration, but the final product will be a design of my choice.
I will not post the making of your jewellery or information about you to my journal. I will however take a before and after photo which I will post to my social media. I will only post the making of process for those who got a spot in the monthly Metamorphosis for $50.
When you drop off your jewellery, I will test it on the spot and we will discuss your likes/dislikes. I require payment upfront and up to 4 weeks to produce your jewellery.
Interested? Email me at alicia@aagoldsmith.com
Lastly, if you would rather design your own jewellery, I'd be happy to meet with you and quote you on my labour!
Happy New Year!
*Note: you must live in the lower mainland and be a referral.
GREEN WEDDING IDEAS
I was recently included in an article outlining green wedding ideas. The italicized copy below is an excerpt from the article and contains a reference to yours truly.
With growing awareness of the environmental effects of excess waste and pollution, it’s no wonder that many of us are pursuing a more sustainable way of living. Naturally, this lifestyle transformation has begun to carry over to weddings as well, and many eco-conscious couples are looking for new and unique ways to make their celebration of love a little more green.
As an added bonus, going green helps you stick to your budget by trimming out excessive waste, which we think is good karma for keeping the earth clean. Here are a few ideas on how to save both the earth and your pocketbook from succumbing to the real cost of weddings.
Jewellery
As we all know, mining ores and precious stones such as gold and diamonds often results in major environmental devastation. Conscious couples are choosing to opt out altogether, hiring local artisans to design one-of-a-kind pieces using metals and gems recycled from old jewellery. These include hair pieces, necklaces, bracelets and, of course, wedding bands. Not only does this help solve the issue of unnecessary suffering caused by mining, but it also helps to support the local art community and economy.
Ethical Jewellery Designer: Alicia Agarrabeitia
Read the article by Kendra Coupland on the Real Weddings website here.