stonesplanetsandearrings (SPE) is a jewelry and accessories store that Arenpongla Jamir started on a whim during the 2020 lockdown while getting stuck in a small apartment in Delhi.
“My mother and I were bored and decided to buy some raw materials online and make earrings as gifts for friends to keep ourselves occupied. When quarantine ended and my friends received them, they not only liked them but encouraged me to sell my products. I was hesitant at first but I enjoyed seeing the joy on their faces when they received their pieces. So, I decided to start my small business so I could bring joy to more people,” said Aren.
Aren finds this as a journey of learning, experience and discovery as she has never crafted before and had no prior knowledge or experience with metals, stones, beads and wires.
“I have been slowly learning more about them and discovering the happiness of crafting and making art,” she said.
This discovery, however, according to her, comes with its challenges. As someone that has had no experience in business, much less have a business of her own, it has been very tasking learning something from scratch.
“Although there is plenty of information online, when it comes to hands-on experience, I have been learning it by myself. This proves to be time-consuming and sometimes even cost expensive,” she shared.
However, having a social media community online, she has received support from not just customers, but other small business owners.
“It has been such a blessing. I have made friends and meaningful connections while on this journey of discovery,” she added.
Despite the many challenges, seeing the glee on customers’ faces and receiving nice feedback from them is what keeps her motivated the most.
“Seeing a piece come to life from imagination to raw material to earrings or necklace and finally seeing them on people, styled to perfection is the most wonderful feeling of creation. It is what keeps me going. It is one of the reasons I enjoy making custom pieces the most. I love being a channel to the process of someone’s idea coming to fruition,” she said with enthusiasm.
Her process of designing and creating for her Stone Planet and Earrings collections has a rather disciplined but chaotic process, according to her.
“I like creating collections, a batch of jewelry, in few numbers and designs, with a certain concept in mind. For example, my Studio Ghibli Collection is inspired by characters from their movies. Once I have a concept in mind and a few designs ready, I shop for the raw materials. During this process of shopping, I come across materials that inspire me to add to the collection.
After the materials arrive, I craft them and take pictures of them and put them online. This sounds simple, but this takes place over days and nights of sitting by my messy table scattered with raw materials,” she said and added how taking pictures of the pieces also requires the perfect sunlight and loads of time figuring out what angle would be best for one particular piece.
However, after all the trouble, she believes the most fulfilling part is when a customer loves the piece, buys it, receives it and sends a message saying how much they love the quality of the pieces or how the SPE package made their day.
“It is even better when they send pictures wearing them, their faces filled with glee. In the end, it is worth all the time, the hard work and the chaos of it all. Nothing ever felt better. It probably always will be the most fulfilling feeling — to create,” she concluded.