Imagine that you are looking into the mirror, inspecting every part of your outfit. Something seems missing. It is not until you add a necklace or two and put on a pair of earrings that you feel that your outfit is finally complete. Something so simple like jewelry can add so much to an already amazing outfit, but it extends beyond a mere physical appeal. Jennifer Kim ’21, a current senior at The Bronx High School of Science, views accessorizing as a means of self-expression and creative display. Kim thoroughly enjoys the art of making, taking up scrapbooking, painting, crocheting, photography, and now jewelry-making, all in her free time.

Amidst the boredom and extra free time during quarantine, Kim decided to make use of the stacks of beads and wires hiding away in the back of her shelf and use them to create her first necklace. She found this activity to be quite enjoyable, and she continued to spend time pursuing it. While this activity started originally as a hobby in order to occupy her free time, it soon became much more. When asked what prompted her decision to take this passion to another level, Kim said, “I was inspired to start selling the jewelry pieces when I was scrolling through Instagram and came across a handmade headband shop. Seeing someone else share their work with others was inspiring to see and served as a boost for my own shop.” From what started as simply making jewelry for herself or as a gift to close friends, Kim said, “I managed to gain confidence in myself in order to expand this quarantine project into Jenn’s Jewels.”

Kim mentions that she takes a lot of her inspiration in her shop from different online platforms like her Instagram explore page, but a lot of it comes from her own imagination and what she would personally enjoy using to create style. “The jewelry that I make allows me to find my own style, because I really like fancy pieces that add spice to my outfits,” Kim said. “I started straying away from the basic, everyday metallic silver and gold jewelry and instead started wearing colorful crystals and pearls, like the ones that I create. It gives me more room for expression because of the variety in pieces.”

She spent these past few months working on her official Instagram page and making different jewelry sets. Jenn’s Jewels has now reached over 140 followers. As Kim continues to grow her account and make different accessories, she recognizes how creating jewelry went from a small hobby to something more widespread. This recognition has prompted her to adapt her posts in a way that will improve her networking and overall business acumen. Kim has implemented an overall theme and visual aesthetic to help sell her jewelry, and to create a consistent brand. . What draws a consumer in the most when first clicking on a page is the visual presentation of the feed, and Kim views this to be a very important aspect of her online shop. “I spend a lot of time on my photos, such as making sure that I have the right angle and lighting in order to show off the jewelry, or by making sure that I have applied the same filter in every picture so that everything looks consistent.”  Maintaining excitement with new photographs when posting is especially crucial as well, so Kim likes to release singular pieces or new collections frequently. Kim has discovered that having personalized, unique pieces while maintaining consistency and aesthetics, can help one tremendously when running an online shop. 

As her store continues to expand, Jennifer Kim has a vision for the future of Jenn’s Jewels.   “My goals for the future are to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and to create my own fashion company.” Through the Jenn’s Jewels Instagram page, Kim was able to learn all about the importance of visual content and how to improve it in order to achieve better marketing. “I also plan on majoring in business in college which will definitely help me,” said Kim, as she hopes to gain a deeper understanding of the business side of running a successful company. 

While some of us spent our quarantine free time binging Netflix shows, baking banana bread, or simply catching up on a lot of missed sleep, Jennifer Kim took this time to create a business out of her hobbies. Some beads and wires from the back of the closet and a love for fashion, accessorizing, and creating, brought about a new business. Jenn’s Jewels allows Kim to not only express a part of herself in a creative fashion, but to also gain valuable skills that will assist her with business courses in college and the future, all while helping her to achieve her longterm goals.

“I managed to gain confidence in myself in order to expand this quarantine project into Jenn’s Jewels,” said Jennifer Kim ’21.