Jewel, née Jewel Kilcher, is finally living up to her mononym. The singer-songwriter, who skyrocketed to fame in the early ’90s with albums like Pieces of Me and Spirit, has recently launched a new jewelry collection called Songlines. Indeed, with an apt name like hers, one would think that a dive into the world of baubles would have come sooner. Though, as a musician who seldom follows the trend du jour, preferring to walk to the beat of her own drum (or in her case, guitar), getting into the jewelry business for the sake of doing so was never appealing.
“I’ve been approached throughout the years, most celebrities have, to do licensing deals, where I would basically license out my face and likeness to a jewelry company and they pay me a fee,” she explained over the phone. “I just never wanted to do it. It never felt right to me.”
Songlines’s origins, evidently, was unlike that. As Jewel expressed, the collection came about organically after she positioned designer Christopher Beaver, who she refers to as her “gay bestie,” to “start a little jewelry company.” She had been buying his pieces for years and thought that they shared the same aesthetic and principles that would allow them to create something that was personally fulfilling. From there, they wanted to see if it could be commercially viable. “We didn’t put in a lot of money; we didn’t get funding,” she said. “We just wanted to test out the idea and see what the response was.”
With a small amount of capital, the duo created 4,500 SKUs that they divided into two categories. The first is Handmade, which consists of rings, earrings and pendant necklaces done in sterling silver or gold fill and features stones like labradorite, quart, turquoise and small diamonds. Prices range from $28 for wire hoops to $175 for a feather-shaped amulet. The other is Signature, which starts at $300 and is comprised of pendants and earrings made of pavé diamonds and sterling silver. The pieces in both groups are modeled after elements found in nature—a clear representation of the folksy vibe of Telluride, Colorado, where Beaver and Jewel call home, and the singer’s Alaskan roots.
More so, every piece is meant to signify aspects of the human condition. “Because I grew up on a ranch, I always use nature as a marker point,” Jewel said. “I would find a feather and it would remind me to look at my life in a larger perspective. Or the sun represents living in openness without shame or secrets. Each piece is meant to represent a value or embody gratitude and being kind to others.”
All these personifications with jewelry should come as no surprise, seeing that the company’s name is loaded with meaning. Songlines, or dreaming track, is a term that Aboriginal Australians used to navigate great expanses of land formed by creator-beings. Also, Jewel is noted for infusing her music with poignant messages, so why would her jewelry be any different? It is this poetry; this drive to create works of value that set her apart from the onset. During the height of grunge rock and bubblegum girl and boy bands, Jewel broke records with her blend of contemporary folk and pop music. She is an artist who tackles every endeavor with the same core values: “creating community, authenticity and meaning. That’s what we made sure to build into this jewelry brand.” And to follow this ethos wholeheartedly, she requires ample amounts of freedom.
“I’m not like anyone else,” she added. “I don’t like to barrow money and have the onus of having a certain amount of returns to pay people back. [I like] the organic nature of really feeling out the market, feeling out where things are going and being able to pivot. I like the market to tell me what’s needed, where it is going, where the opportunities are.”
So far, at Songlines’s budding stage, Jewel sees the company growing on a direct-to-consumer level. And though the collection is sold at two select outlets (Urban Zen in New York and White’s Mercantile in Nashville), she is more focused on building sales through the brand’s website. Additionally, pieces will also be available for purchase during her upcoming Handmade Holiday Tour, which is poignantly a family affair. Her dad, two brothers and son will join her stage and will also be selling items they created alongside Beaver, who will be on site with the jewelry.
“My son is making bath bombs and he’ll be selling them,” she said proudly. “I really want to teach him about money and business and entrepreneurship at a young age, and this really a great opportunity.”
This lesson that she is trying to instill in her son is a part of her modus operandi. Having grown up in Homer, Alaska with very little money, Jewel learned to be resourceful and create her own opportunities. “I was raised by pioneers, she said. “They are the original gangsters of entrepreneurship.” This is why she has branched away from the music industry and created businesses outside that sphere so as “to create stability for myself as a mom when I’m not touring.” Indeed, Songlines is not the only non-endemic (so to speak) company she is working on. She has also created a mindfulness curriculum for public schools, which she initially developed for herself as means to combat depression and anxiety. Now, she is about to make her first sale in Florida.
That said, music is a big part today’s society. And because it has the ability to truly impact people and foster positive change on a large scale, Jewel has committed to going back to the studio. “Social media and what we’re seeing in culture is telling us to be more perfect, more beautiful,” she said. “And nobody feels that way. So, I’m going to go back to make music. I never thought I would go back at it in a really big public way, but I just felt compelled to. I want authenticity to be seen in the culture. And I feel that’s what I’m good at. So, I’m making a new record.”
Early on, what she was good at made her one of the biggest acts in the country. The masses were captivated by her empathic lyrics and uncontrived image. But, as she as witnessed, a lot has changed. Maybe she’ll repeat her success, or maybe she won’t. Either way, she is seemingly not backing down. She is pushing forward down her own path—or in this case, songline.
Follow Barry Samaha on Twitter (@barry_samaha) and Instagram (@barrysamaha).
