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

Hi Jessica, thanks for joining us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

I can’t thank my parents enough for always encouraging my artistic drive, and though we had humble means at times, they never failed to provide materials I could use to fuel my creativity. Toilet paper rolls, empty tissue boxes, scraps of wood, those all became my supplies and the possibilities were endless! I would make cardboard shoes, pop-up cards, miniature accessories for dolls, or anything else I dreamed up! I think what I’m most grateful for is that my parents never treated my ideas as silly. They nurtured my creative interests from paper crafts to sewing to sculpting, and everything in between. Ultimately, their confidence in me is what boosted my own self confidence and that’s something I carry with me down to this day as I continue bringing my ideas to life, now through jewelry design!

Jessica, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

It all started from a childhood love (obsession) with rocks! I’ve collected and admired them my whole life. I’ve also had a passion for creating and working with my hands for just as long. Anything from sculpting to painting to sewing… You name it, I’ve done it and loved it! Copper & Stone was born from a desire to wear gemstone jewelry in bold styles that I couldn’t find in stores.

About 10 years ago, my husband brought home copper wire from his job at the time and suggested I try using it to make the jewelry I had been searching for. With one swing of the hammer, I was HOOKED! I couldn’t believe how fun it was to dream up designs, forge them in metal and add gemstones. For the next few years I only made jewelry for myself and friends, but thanks to a more open schedule during 2020, I finally shared my art with the world and have been speechless over the support ever since!!

I’ve been able to learn skills that always felt out of reach, like soldering intricate designs, setting stones, and now working with mixed metals! The experience up to this point has fueled my ambition to keep learning and growing. From humble beginnings to selling directly on Instagram, to then having my own website and growing to have wholesale accounts… It’s all been a wild ride that I am extremely grateful for. My husband has cheered me on the whole way and the lifelong friends I’ve made in the creative community are like the cherry on top.

I’ve come to be known for my gemstone selection, which makes the little rock collector in me happy beyond words! I spend hours hand selecting which stones to purchase, and at times I’ll work with local lapidary artists to get exactly the shape I’m looking for. When I find the most gorgeous stone, I like to design around it in a way that doesn’t distract, but simply elevates it’s natural beauty. Working with copper has been great because the warm orange tone really seems to compliment most stones. I love seeing others faces light up with excitement when they find just the right piece for them!

When you wear your favorite Copper & Stone design I hope it lifts your mood and helps you step out feeling bold and beautiful!

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I think something that people might not know is just how vulnerable many artists feel. I can’t speak for everyone, but I know it’s true for a lot of creatives that sharing our art publicly is like baring our soul and opening it up for judgement and opinions. It can feel terrifying! Small compliments go a long way and mean the world to us, and equally true, criticisms have the same power and can affect our confidence. That ties back to why I’m just so grateful for my parents and their effort to build up my self confidence. It’s really helped me to be ok putting myself out there in a vulnerable way and to handle the occasional criticism gracefully.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

My hot take on social media is that, as a small business, I am so incredibly grateful for it! Yes it is difficult to maintain. Yes it is time consuming. But at the same time it is a huge free resource that your business can benefit from!

My audience grew organically, meaning I didn’t pay for ads or use any complicated tactics. I simply shared my art. As friends would reshare, it started to spread and continued to grow! Eventually I tested out a couple paid ads, but never saw much benefit so I don’t think it’s necessary. I focused more on making sure I had nice looking photos of my jewelry so others would enjoy sharing it with their audience. That’s what brought the most growth!

My advice to anyone just starting out is to share, share, share! In other words, just post a picture of your art, and keep doing it. Don’t pressure yourself to create reels, or videos with fancy editing, etc. Don’t try to keep up with every trend, you will exhaust yourself. Just simply start by posting photos and getting the conversation going about what you make. Definitely put effort in to answering questions people may have and build a connection with them. Stay honest and positive, that’s what will leave people feeling good when they see what you share online.

Lastly, make sure you share at least one photo of yourself and give some basic background of who you are! That is key. People want to support other people, and they can’t do that if you don’t introduce yourself to them.

I’ve been able to meet some of the most amazing women this way. It’s the part about my job that I count as the most special. The interchange of encouragement really fires me up to create the next bold and unique Copper & Stone piece!

Contact Info:

• Website: Copperandstone.art
• Instagram: Copper.and.stone
• Facebook: Facebook.com/profile.php?Id=100069030977973
• Other: Pinterest.com/copperandstoneart/

Image Credits
Melissa Morrow Photography