Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Charlotte Mazey. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Charlotte, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

Maybe its the millennial in me. But ever since I was a tiny tiny hound i’ve loved nature and animals and everything the earth has to offer us. Yes, that maybe corny but I think the world could use a little more corny. So, I always new I would get into some kind of activism one way or another. I did light activism here and there while living in san Francisco but nothing major which is a bummer. After college when I attended the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts, I knew id open my own business eventually so I made it my vow to make it happen or just find a way to contribute more than just doing my recycling at home. Here at LARUE & CO. I make it my mission to be as sustainable as possible which is kind of hard to do in the jewelry industry. Alot of packaging for keeping pieces and stones safe and even our tools come with a lot of packaging and of course there are the actual chemicals we use that we all have to dispose of properly. Between educating my customers on where your stones come from, why its better to get stones from certain sources rather than others can help in the fight for our planet. I use a lot of recycled metals whether its from metals i’ve recycled myself or looking for recycled materials through vendors. Also, inside scoop lol I am proud to say that we now are using completely compostable mailers for shipping orders from an amazing company called “Hero Packaging”. They made it possible so business owners much like myself can join the sustainability train. Their mailers will compost at home in 120 days and in a commercial setting compost in 90 days! So cool! They even say they have a 9 month shelf life so wild I love it. Even the jewelry boxes I use (to put the actual products in) are recyclable and made from recycled cardboard. Now I am just looking into sustainable stickers lol. LARUE & CO. also makes home goods like candles. All of our candles are made with 100% soy wax and natural essential oils. The best part though is that all of our candles are in recycled jars from other candles or cool jars i’ve found. Not only can you refill them through us with your favorite LARUE scents but if you find a cool jar or container you can send it in and we will fill it for you:)
Aside from my sustainability initiative, my brand is also size inclusive and gender inclusive. I make sizes 2-16 in rings, 13″-30″ in necklaces, bracelets are 5″-12″ at the moment. I also make sure customers are aware that they can always ask us to make any size if not listed. I want people to be able to live their own style, whatever that may be. We have more feminine pieces and more masculine pieces by society standards lol. As far as LARUE & CO. is concerned, my pieces are just items lol items made with a lot of love and care but objects non the less. My favorite thing about personal style is just that, its personal. So if you want to wear something as your normal size or as a knuckle ring or use a bracelet as a collar chain or wear mixed matched earrings thats up to you.

Charlotte, 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?

Hi, my name is Charlotte LaRue Mazey and I am the owner and founder of LARUE & CO. Fine Jewelry for Humans. LARUE & CO. is a size inclusive, gender inclusive and sustainable fine, demi-fine jewelry and home goods e-commerce brand. I pride myself on sharing knowledge with my consumers so whether they shop with me or another shop they will feel strong and informed to make the right decision for themselves. Because lets be real jewelry is not a necessity its a luxury. Sometimes its even an investment that can then be passed down as an heirloom or a nest egg for your kids college fund who knows. I want my customers to know the truths behind industry practices. And I want them to know where their things are being made or where their stones come from. In the world of sustainability, that is what is going to make the difference is buying things straight from the source. Also producing as little waste as possible but thats another story for another day. I believe a smart customer is a happy customer. People feel better making bigger purchases when they know the background or the story. But thats not how or why I got into the industry. Lets go back to the beginning. It all started with a stupid little nose ring lol. I was living in San Fransisco at the time and I had been attending The Academy of Art University studying photography and graphic design. Like most other millennial girls I had my nose pierced. Although I had gotten mine as a tribute to my late aunt when I was 12. But its not a competition lol. Anyway, I was living in the sf and for the life of me I couldn’t find a solid gold nose ring. Everyone else had silver and of course I had to be different because I was not put on this planet to be like everybody else. Meanwhile I still had my nose pierced hahaha. So I couldn’t find this stupid solid gold nose ring…Maybe its my ADHD or my stubbornness or being an American lol but I needed it now. Today. This second. So, in true stubborn charlotte audacity I decided to figure out how to make my own. I have always been the ill figure it out or the f*ck it ill do it myself kind of girl. So I found a fabrication class at the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts. Which of course none of this makes sense in regard to my angsty teenage urgency regarding this stupid nose ring hahhahahaha but I signed up. Little did I know at the time that the school ended up being this like amazing jewelry school where people from all over the world came to learn the craft of being a goldsmith (which is just the original name for a jeweler). I think I happened to be one of five americans in a class of 45 humans. Anyway they had their jewelry intensive course starting three days after my fabrication class. As soon as I turned on that little torch I fell head over heals in love. Maybe its the fire sign in me or the tom boy but metal and fire all day?! F*ck Yeah!! I studied under Master Goldsmith Alan Revere alongside many other amazing professors and I was home. Alan would probably be shocked to know this since I could from time to time be disruptive we’ll say lol. I make a lot of inappropriate jokes at the wrong times…. ADHD. What are ya gonna do? Ive gotten better with age hahaha but at 22 ya know. The jewelry intensive was essentially the same as going to GIA so it was hard. For two years I didn’t have a life. We got to the studio at six am and although class ended around five you’d be in open studio some days till eleven at night. But it was a blast it really was. I soaked up everything like a sponge. I knew I wanted to do this for the rest of my days. At graduation all of us had to decide what we were going to do with this new trade. Most took their bench exams and found jewelry stores to work in but not me I said I am going to start my own business. So I did! LARUE & CO. has had many different names over the years. I started on etsy as LaRue x Black with like a pirate theme it was weird don’t ask. Then LARUE and about four years later I finally decided to put my big girl panties on and go off on my own where it became The LaRue Shop lol I panicked when the registration people asked what my business name was. Three months later I changed it to LARUE & CO. and so she will stay till her dying days. So, here we are, 9 years later and I am a professional goldsmith, artist, and business human.
Growing up I was always into art. My mom kept me very busy, I was a mischievous and active kid (hello ADHD), so she figured keep her busy expose her to everything and something will stick and at the least she’ll be safe and not get into trouble. #blessed. It was tiring at times but it was the best thing she could have ever done. Still to this day I practice in multiple art mediums and am very active athletically. Now, its great too because I have so many skills that all go into the business. My photography and Graphic design make it easy to keep all my marketing and packaging design in house. I owe a lot to that lil lady lol we’re very close. She too is a savvy business woman. It must run in the family.
My grandfather instilled business into all of us girls. As the patriarch of the family he kept all of us very busy. A whole tribe of women. Daughters and then granddaughters and a sprinkle of grandsons. But he always made it a point to make sure the girls were busy and informed hahahaa. We all had jobs since we were 13 whether it was babysitting or whatever else a 13 year old girl can legally do for work hahaha. I don’t know if its because of being new yorkers or him being a business man but I think all of us knew at some point we all would have big full careers. I always knew I wanted to go into business. To me business was like my second language and I had to have it. Watching business people with their cool suites walking to work it just seemed so sophisticated to tiny char. Back then I didn’t care what kind of business I just knew I wanted an office to call my own some day.
Confucius said “choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life” and man was he right. I wake up everyday feeling very blessed. Beside being in business, I get to play with fire and metals and beautiful gemstones every day. What could be better than that? As far as LARUE & CO., she is just three and she is growing everyday into a big strong beast of my creation. It will be cool to watch to see what she manifests into throughout the years. I mean pottery barn did used to just sell pots after all lol. If I can help people know what they are buying before they buy it Im happy. If I can make sure my brand is as sustainable as possible to reduce my carbon footprint Im happy and if I can teach other brands to do the same then that’s even better. There will always be big box stores and there will always be mom and pop shops like mine but if somehow we can communicate and work together than I have done my part.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

A story that illustrates my resilience….. Oh god idk maybe just the multitude of authoritative figures throughout my life telling me I wouldn’t add up to anything. Granted I grew up in the 90’s/early 2000’s not that thats any excuse but teachers and people in school administration really have no acceptance for learning disabilities or kids who actually speak their minds. As I have said before I have ADHD and I am also technically on the autism spectrum which I hesitate to tell people because when you meet me its obvious that I am very high functioning. Just because a kid gets a D in social studies their freshman year of high scool doesn’t mean they are going to work at mcdonalds the rest of their life…. I actually had a nun of all people tell me that.. Im not kidding. Sorry Im not sorry that they were spilling incorrect facts about American history and this little new york jew had to correct y’all! American history might be embarrassing but its still history and you cant argue with the truth…. you probably weren’t looking for that when you asked me this but thats my answer lol.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Creating only what the market needs or wants. Now there is some truth to that for sure. But I think being locked in that cage can kill a creative mindset.There is only one you and that means something. Most would see that the jewelry industry is oversaturated but to that I say so are most industries. There is only one you and you have your own something, the sparkle I call it. Just because three people you know are doing something in the same field doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t go after what you want. You don’t have what they have and they don’t have what you have and that is awesome. I don’t see other people in my industry as competition. I think that mindset is toxic. Im over here doing my thing and they are over there doing theirs and I think people respond to that. LARUE & CO. didn’t become a brand over night. She evolved into a brand and thats ok. Every story is different and every brand is different. People are going to either respond to what you bring to the table or they wont but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.

Contact Info:

• Website: shoplarueandco.com
• Instagram: @larue.and.co
• Other: tik tok: @larue.and.co

Image Credits
charlotte larue mazey