We were lucky to catch up with Melissa Dusenberry recently and have shared our conversation below.

Melissa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Many years ago in my role as a Creative Director for a private high jewelry club, I discovered two things about the jewelry industry. The first was how much of what we know of our collective ancient past comes to us through jewelry found in archeology. For our ancient ancestors jewelry was a reflection of what was of meaning and value to them – a very different connection we have with jewelry today. The second was how opaque and intimidating it is to understand why one gemstone is more valuable than another – and the origin.

I told myself if I ever were to become an entrepreneur myself, it would be founding a company that restores a personal connection we have with jewelry (specifically designed by women) and creates a joyful, inclusive, and accessible way to understand the value of gemstones. Not just from an investment perspective, but also to empower consumers to ask the who, how, and where of their jewelry “ingredients”.

And so I did!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

All The Brilliants is a jewelry company specializing in thoughtfully designed pieces, made by women. As an advocate of responsible sourcing and a fine jewelry guide, I help people find memorable pieces that amplify their personal style and align with their values. This could be jewelry that supports climate action or UNSDGs.

Similar to many entrepreneurs, my professional background seems a bit counterintuitive to becoming a founder of a jewelry company, but there is a thread!

I was very serious about becoming a painter at a young age, but that evolved into a career as an art director in advertising and image branding – essentially storytelling for beauty and luxury brands. Because of a life-long insatiable interest in archeology and art history, when I happened to have reason to go deep into holistically understanding jewelry for a brand I was consulting for, I just wanted to know more and learn more… and that never stopped.

What remains special about All The Brilliants’ journey is that, from the start, the community was brought along the way as I was learning about gemstones, discovering women designers whose work is dynamically different and discerning, and gaining clarity in advocating for responsible sourcing.

There is no hiding that I am a solopreneur and that makes everything I do personal – something that customers feel about the curated jewelry they find on All The Brilliants and the private “Sparkling Tasting” experiences.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

What a perfect question!

The lesson I had to unlearn was “talking to consumers” as I did in my years working in advertising versus “connecting with another human being”.

This story lights me up about a customer who was a complete stranger purchased a significant piece of jewelry as a gift for his wife during COVID. When I saw the order come in, I emailed him within an hour to introduce myself and share how excited I was to see such a special necklace would delight someone soon. Because shipping timelines were uncertain I asked if we could arrange a quick call to ensure a smooth arrival without incident and accommodate any other details. He responded immediately to my email in disbelief that there was a real human with a personality who wrote him an email – and cared enough to ask about his needs. We talked by phone the next day and that was the start of a warm friendship with him and his wife, who remain wonderful customers to this day.

A lot of businesses (of all sizes) rely on automated structures, scripted responses, and without a doubt, we will be seeing a lot more AI. Of course, having systems in place is important, but for me, connecting with people on a human level is non-negotiable.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

For over a year, All The Brilliants was just an idea. I started an IG presence while I was still consulting and began sharing with people the vision to amplify gemstone education and why it’s important to know the who, how, and where gemstones are from. Many people in the industry and my friends were dismissive, including a friend saying “no one cares about that stuff… I just want what I want and that is all”.

I disagreed and when supply chain issues were brought to light during COVID, people started caring. Soon I found others within the jewelry industry who are also advocates for responsible sourcing and our movement is enabling people to better understand how to intentionally choose jewelry that aligns with their values.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.allthebrilliants.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allthebrilliants/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allthebrilliants
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/all-the-brilliants/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsLJM6vEgPlBv62-wQjQfvw

Image Credits
Image is courtesy of Kristin Slaby