We recently connected with Krystal Bennett and have shared our conversation below.

Krystal, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

Rivière’s mission is to provide high quality jewelry at an affordable price.

My main focus has been finding the perfect materials and mediums that suited the unique branding I want to cultivate.

I spent several years studying the correlation between cost and the longevity of jewelry, I believe I have found that sweet spot where women can look absolutely stunning, sporty, and sexy without breaking the bank.

It was important to find metals that were pleasing to the eye and healthy for the skin as well.

With serving a demographic of women that vary in age, status, and background, I needed to be mindful of different factors that customers may include during their decision making process when purchasing items.

After much trial and error, I am here now able to provide opulent jewelry ranging between $15 to $55.

Krystal, 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?

I’ve always felt that being a creative was a part of my purpose. From designing babydoll clothing as a little girl to being inspired watching my mom create amazing hair styles for women who seek that “Wow” factor.

Before launching Rivière in 2018, I was a back up dancer for a local artist while training recreationally for years.

Jewelry came to mind after wanting that “Wow” factor when it came to my dance costumes. I would come up with different design ideas and make them come to fruition. I enjoyed the process way more than I expected and it became a hobby. I’d only made pieces that were for fast fashion and only for the moment.

The idea of forming a business came much later after wanting to create longer lasting pieces and expanding the type of jewelry I wanted to design and sell. There was much to factor in before launching, so I did a lot of research and sampling. We now carry various designs from pendants and medallion necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings, anklets and specializing in handcrafted custom pieces such as crystal and chain bralettes, skirts, thigh and arm adornments.

Executing a luxurious look and feel while having an online shopping experience at an affordable price while still gifting free items, sending out coupons, exclusive offers, having flash sales and much more.

I am proud of the journey and how much Rivière has grown over the last few years. We want our returning and future customers to know true quality service while shopping. We are keen on making each and every customer experience stress free and luxurious.

Outside of my jewelry business, I create ways to give back to my community. My non-profit is responsible for initiatives such as Feeding for Fullness, Sock Drive, Pampered Purses, Prom Fairy, Give A Treat, and the No Shade Campaign. I also collaborated with other nonprofits to bring food and warmth during the winter seasons.
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How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

I created my website from scratch. I did a lot of researched on hosting sites and picking domains. Instead of hiring a website developer and media team, I decided to try it out myself.

Navigating these spaces gave me the opportunity to learn how to operate an entire platform with free creative control.

I also have the ability to see what are shoppers’ overall experiences when surfing through my website and purchasing an item.

I can change aesthetics as easily as I could work on things on the back end. The convenience of being able to make changes on the go is definitely a pro for me. While this is ideal, other platforms such as Etsy and Amazon are awesome sites, but have limited creative rang that hinders the experience that’s necessary for my customers.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

What has helped me most when it comes to building my brand is being authentic and leading every endeavor with integrity. I am very particular about who I collaborate with so that I am maintaining the vision behind my brand.

Being visible and social have been essential to building as well. It is important to always network with other creatives and gain insight from mogul who have been successful at what we are trying to build. I love being in environments where I can share best practices as well as learn and soak up as much information as possible.

It really comes down to doing the smaller task efficient and consistently. Ensuring that all inquires are answered within 1-2 business days, interacting with returning and potential customers in person and via social media, posting new items and sale reminders often on all platforms, and most of all being warm and welcoming.

Contact Info:

• Website: Byriviere.com
• Instagram: @Byriviere
• Facebook: Byriviere