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Thank you for visiting erin gallagher jewelry, here's a bit of our story. The company began with my mom, and though she died almost seven years ago, she is still so present in everything we do.
It started about 10 years ago. My mom, an interior decorator who had owned a successful business, saw me drudging painfully through a series of boring, unfulfilling jobs. She believed strongly that every woman needed two things: an outlet for her creativity and a sense of empowerment. I had neither. Her solution: we would start making jewelry together. It started as a hobby, something for me to feel good about when I got home from work. I never thought it would lead to anything. But, moms always know best.
Within months, women were buying jewelry off our necks in restaurants. Within a year, Bloomingdales placed an order for our pieces. I quit my job and started designing jewelry full-time, armed with a new sense of purpose and on my way to being a successful business owner. Then my mom was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. She was gone in three months.
It took a year for me to pull myself off the couch. But I knew I owed it to myself and to her to continue what she'd inspired. After a lot of hard work, my jewelry is sold in boutiques across the country, including my own retail store here in Chicago. My mom continues to serve as both as the muse for my designs and the conscience for how we do business. You see, my mom went green way before it was cool: timing our showers to the second, collecting aluminum cans wherever she went, installing a rain barrel in our garden, where she also composted and grew vegetables for our meals. True to her spirit, all the metal in our jewelry is reclaimed (recycled) and all our stones are conflict-free. We have trees planted in South America to offset our shipping costs and in our offices we only use environmentally friendly supplies.
Now we have begun helping women to "recycle" their jewelry, either by redesigning it into more current styles or by donating it to a local charity Dress for Success. My mom guides every decision we make. And I know that she would be very proud of the legacy of style and love that she's left behind. This fall I'm expecting my first child, and I hope I'll be able to pass on that piece of my mom to my baby.
I'm constantly seeking inspiration to push our designs in new directions, never forgetting to inspire the glamour girl in all of us. Everyone deserves to be inspired, be indulged and be creative!
As many of you Chicagoians know - erin gallagher jewelry has an amazing staff of women who make your gem-dreams come true. If you have a minute take a little time to....
meet the team Get to know the ladies a little better by checking out the employee page. Plus, you don't want to miss out on our adorable kindergarten pictures.
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