We were lucky to catch up with Samantha Hughes recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Samantha , thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I found my passion for Dayton through photography and one day was taking macro photos of some peeling street art – the layers of colors and textures really resonated with me and I wondered how to translate that into something wearable.

Looking down to the ground, I noticed some pieces of paint that had been scraped down and so I tucked them into my pocket and started playing with them when I got home. And that’s how the line of my Gem City Jewelry started.

From there, I started to notice peeling paint on some of the old historic buildings in our city and wanted to capture and preserve what I could into jewelry form – with many of these locations, they have a rich and proud history with some of them being saved from demolition, some unfortunately are still in danger..

Since I felt Dayton was in its own way helping me find my purpose and passion, I decided to use this opportunity to continue creating and using a portion of my sales to be donated to a local architectural preservation group who work tirelessly to care for the old structures that have fallen into neglect.

I’ve had the privilege of being invited to source materials from some of Daytons heritage buildings – The Wright Company Factory and The Arcade to name two. And I strive to not only continue to create but to also learn and help educate people on these historic sites..

Samantha , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Having primarily been a photographer for many years, I’ve always seen life from an artists angle and am often drawn to creating items that reflect what I see around me that inspire me. During 2020 when I was unable to actively photograph people, I started taking photos of food, items in my home and found myself creating more things for the purpose of having something to photograph.

And found that I enjoyed the process of creating as much as I enjoyed taking photos. When I started to work on jewelry, I realized it was something that I felt like I was putting a little more of my heart into – something that helped tell a story about what was around me, or how I was feeling or even what I was doing on a particular day.

Being able to share those stories with people is something I strive to do each day now and to spark inspiration in others is a huge joy.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

Social media has been a phenomenal tool for connecting and communicating with clients, and as someone with many years of retail background, I understand the value of creating a strong level of customer service.

Being a solo business owner means that I don’t have to be anything less than my authentic self and often communicate with my clients without having to use a public persona and I’ve found people appreciate that openness and honesty.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Honesty and transparency. And a willingness to talk to clients about my process of creating. My products tell a story and I don’t shy away from telling that story in the hopes that they are inspired by it.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Riley Street Merchants
• Facebook: Riley Street Merchants

Image Credits
Image credit for personal image: Jennifer Shepherd. Product images taken by myself.