We were lucky to catch up with Anna Jay recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Anna thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

As an undergraduate at William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, I was required to take various courses to fulfill my degree requirements, some of which were enjoyable, some of which were not (looking at you, micro-economics). I met with my freshman advisor, Chuck Bailey, a renowned geologist, who looked at my schedule and saw I was signed up for Intro to Chemistry… he encouraged me to switch to a geology class with his esteemed colleague, Rowan Lockwood. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. I signed up for her 100 person lecture class; but Rowan learned each of our names. I also found the subject matter to be absolutely captivating – needless to say, I was hooked on geology. However, I’m not really the type of gal who wants to spend her time in the field or crunching the data in a lab after the fact – but I loved presenting my data.

I should also mention that while in college, I spent my summers working on Nantucket; spending my days on the beach and my evenings palling around with my friends. And while I loved geology, I loved Nantucket more. After graduating with a geology degree and no job prospects, I decided I would spend one more summer ‘on island’ and get a part time job to make a little spending money. I landed a job at a jewelry store and within my first week, I realized I had found my niche. I realized there was so much crossover between geology and jewelry! I worked for a family run business and learned so much from the owners and my experiences, as well as being exposed to truly sensational jewelry. So, why did I decide to go out on my own? I really wanted to have ownership. I had kind of maxed out on what I could really do in my role and wanted more. I wanted autonomy, more freedom, more control…I wanted to create a jewelry environment where you didn’t feel like an underage kid in a liquor store; somewhere where you could chat and learn and try things on and have an amazing experience with no pressure; like hanging out with a friend who just happens to know a ton about jewelry. You see, you often get new jewelry for big life events: engagements, birthdays, anniversaries… I wanted the experience to be special and fun and professional, but not pushy or intimidating.

So, in the fall of 2019 after one last summer, I decided to resign from my position and move forward with starting my own business. You know the expression, when you make plans the universe laughs? Well, the universe was laughing. I formally announced my business at the end of February 2020, literally two weeks before the world stopped with COVID. While I was so beyond excited, I also was so nervous; then, when the world stopped – I was like, what have I done?! But it was a great time to start a business working remotely with clients because at that point – everyone was remote. It was definitely overwhelming and nerve wracking especially given the global climate, but there were friends and family who took a chance on me and allowed me to get my start. I created custom pieces; engagement rings, wedding bands, one-off pieces that allowed me keep my overhead low, but provide the kind of experience I was chasing for my clients. I’ve since opened a retail space in Nantucket (what a dream!) where I carry exclusively female designers (girl power!) and continue to work on custom pieces and sketch ideas for my own collection.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Anna P. Jay and I am a jeweler based in Nantucket, Massachusetts.

I started my eponymous business in 2020 to create an environment where jewelry shopping could be fun – not intimidating. After years of working in luxury retail, I realized that there was an opportunity to educate and teach, curate and create, and that jewelry was so much more than just a pretty thing (though that doesn’t hurt!). I founded Anna P. Jay, specializing in custom work – engagement rings, wedding bands, resetting old jewelry, sourcing exquisite gemstones, curating collections for clients. I really love the education side of jewelry – understanding why different gemstones are more rare or valuable; I joke with my clients that I will teach you another language when it comes to jewelry.

I’m most proud of the honesty and transparency I provide to my clients. I always say, it’s my name on the door, and it’s my reputation. I believe in my business and myself, and nothing is stronger than your word. I also am proud of the fact that I pursued my education to get my Graduate Gemologist Degree from the Gemological Institute of America. They are the only not for profit lab in the world and continually research gems to provide unbiased knowledge to the public. As I am not a generational jeweler, being able to accurately identify different gemstones as well as source gemstones for my clients has been immensely helpful. It also has been a delight being exposed to gemstones other than diamonds – the world of color is so fun!

I have a store located in downtown Nantucket where I carry exclusively female designers; I’d love it if you stopped by!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Jewelry is not a need – it’s a want. I am completely dependent on my client’s experience; it’s a service. My mentor has an expression that he has shared with me; the answer is yes, now what’s the question? This mindset had transformed my mindset. You say yes, and you figure the rest out later, especially as you’re building your business.

And not to sound like a broken record, but being a graduate gemologist has really given me a leg up. Just being able to identify different gemstones and be exposed to more than just emeralds, rubies, sapphires and diamonds…

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Two things I did when I started my business: 1) I worked with no stock – it was all made to order. This helped me keep my overhead low. 2) I got a 0% APR (for 12 months) business credit card. This provided flexible funding for me as I needed it and before I could really apply for a business line of credit. My limit was relatively low, but having 12 months to get my business off the ground before credit card bills set in was huge.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://annapjay.com
• Instagram: @annapjay
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annapjay/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-p-jay-4956b684/
• Other: https://www.threads.net/@annapjay

Image Credits

Emily Elisabeth Photography
Georgie Morley Photography