We had the good fortune of connecting with Jessica Liu and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Jessica, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I actually didn’t start off in jewelry. I used to be an attorney, but even then, I always found myself itching to do something creative where I’d be working with my hands. I used to take on side projects as a hobby, one of those being woodworking. I’d restore coffee tables from around the house, completely changing the look by adding a new tabletop and refinishing the pieces. Another endeavor I explored was event planning; I even took on a part-time internship! But the craft I ultimately fell in love with was metalsmithing and jewelry-making. There’s something so satisfying about taking a raw material like a sheet of sterling silver and using nothing but a saw blade and a flame to craft it into something beautiful.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m a self-taught metalsmith and specialize in gold vermeil jewelry, which I handcraft in my home studio. I first took an interest in learning jewelry-making in 2019, but as a mom to young kids, it was difficult for me to attend live classes. As luck would have it, with the pandemic the following year, everything went virtual. I enrolled in online jewelry courses, studied books on silversmithing, and watched YouTube videos by jewelry-making experts–a routine I followed daily after I put my kids to bed for the night.
After crafting a few experimental pieces, I realized they were unlike anything I typically saw in boutiques. I gravitated toward organically fluid designs that had an abstract, sculptural feel to them, and I loved the idea of making wearable art. More importantly, I saw this as a chance to make pieces I could actually wear comfortably. I’ve always struggled with metal sensitivities and most earrings and necklaces would irritate my skin. I knew there must be other people in the same predicament. Most fashion jewelry is just thinly gold-plated brass, which inevitably causes allergies in sensitive skin, but the only alternative seemed to be fine jewelry, which was costly and often limited to more traditional designs.
With this need in mind and my self-taught skills in hand, I decided to create a collection of jewelry pieces for sensitive skin. I’ve also always been a sucker for beautiful packaging, so this was the perfect opportunity to have a little fun and play around with a luxury unboxing experience as well.
Pivoting from a legal career to jewelry design has been terrifying at times, but also extremely rewarding. I’ve always been of the mentality that if something you need doesn’t exist, then you should build it. I’d long been looking for modern jewelry pieces safe for my sensitive skin, and I had also bemoaned the fact that the luxury retail experience only seemed to come with purchases from the highest echelon of design houses. It was time for the two to come together and my hope is that Petit Anjou will bring as much joy to others as it does to me.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, you can’t come to Orange County without seeing the fabulous beaches, so our first stop would be lunch at The Beachcomber in Crystal Cove and a walk through the shops and galleries near Main Beach in Laguna, finishing off the day with tacos and margaritas at Javier’s. Another afternoon would be dedicated to a day of retail therapy at South Coast Plaza. We’d cap it off with dinner at Paradise Dynasty, my favorite place for soup dumplings and other deliciously upscale Chinese eats. Finally, if I’d had enough foresight to get tickets in advance, we’d make one of our week’s dinners at Trust DTSA. I haven’t been since Chef Jason Quinn stepped away from operations, but I anticipate that their dinner party events are still as amazing as ever.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I owe so much credit to my husband, Glen. Launching and running a small business is no small task. I’m often wearing a hundred different hats and doing it as a mom to three boys means that I’m not always graceful at juggling it all. Glen has been my biggest supporter and advocate, celebrating my successes as well as boosting me through those inevitable moments of self-doubt when I feel like throwing in the towel on entrepreneurship. He challenges me to reach higher but is also the voice of reason when I get carried away. If I’ve learned anything in the process, it’s that surrounding yourself with supportive people is absolutely critical to survival and success as a small business.
Website: petitanjou.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/petitanjou
Facebook: www.facebook.com/petitanjoujewelry
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS6d6PmtiTzF4iSaDb9j1Vg
Image Credits
All jewelry images are credited to Sara Rey Photography; other images need no credit.