Kate was having contractions, but she was determined to keep packing her jewelry. When we had our first son, in 2015, he was born a few days before Black Friday. Juggling family and work life has been a pretty big challenge. Michael Kim: For the first two years, it was mostly me and Kate doing all of the front-end stuff. My husband, Michael, quit his job and started working with me full time. My sister Vivian then took over Silver Handwriting and still runs it today. So I rebranded to Caitlyn Minimalist in 2014 and got a professional camera. With the amount of people coming to me to share their stories, I thought, I can do better than this. I don’t think I took very good photos, but even with my bad job of branding, the demand was still there. My first shop was called Silver Handwriting, and it was solely focused on handwriting jewelry. Also I wasn’t very tech-savvy in 2013, and Etsy is user-friendly. Back then, Etsy was probably the only platform that offered that connection. The jewelry that I create has a story behind it, so my relationship with my customers is very important. Kate: Custom and personalized items are really a thing on Etsy, so I thought it was the best fit for me. I can make affordable and meaningful jewelry that everybody can enjoy. I realized, I can make something out of this. So that’s when I decided to start my business. One seller I admired back then was offering one for around $300. I went online and saw that there are not many options out there, like literally nobody sold handwriting necklaces, and custom jewelry is very expensive. After that, more of my friends started asking me for custom jewelry. I did it for free the amount of joy and comfort that it gave her was priceless. She wanted her late father’s handwriting of the word love replicated for a necklace. In 2013, a friend asked me to make something for her that was similar to a piece I’d created with my grandfather’s handwriting. Sometimes, I would create something personal for myself. We moved from Vietnam to America in 2012, and our first workshop was in Little Saigon in Orange County, California, where we live. Kate Kim: My family has always been involved in jewelry. Here, she and her husband, Michael, who quit his job to help her full time, walk us through how they reached such a huge milestone. This spring, the brand reached 1 million sales - a rare achievement for any seller. Kim estimates her returning-customer rate is about 40 percent, and she sees between 60 and 100 percent overall growth year over year. Since 2013, she has been selling custom, hyperpersonal accessories through her Etsy shop, Caitlyn Minimalist: necklaces featuring the handwriting of a relative who passed, rings with newborn babies’ fingerprints, friendship bracelets with secret messages - the kind of stuff you buy to commemorate a special person or occasion and then buy again when you have something else to celebrate. All images are copyrighted by CaitlynMinimalist.It’s not unusual for jewelry designer Kate Kim’s pieces to bring customers to tears.Thank you so much for visiting and hope you enjoy shopping with us ♡ Please check our home page for the most current times.Ī B O U T ∙ C A I T L Y N M I N I M A L I S T Our turn around time is about 6 - 10 business days for custom made designs. If you have custom made items in your cart, your order will ship separated into two shipments. This design is ready to ship in 1 - 2 business days.If you can't find the information you need or need some advice for your design? Feel free to contact us.All items are nicely packaged ready to gift in elegant jewelry boxes.Simply select your FINISH and RING SIZE in the drop down menu and then finalize your order.High quality materials and attention to detail.Material: High Quality Solid 925 Sterling Silver.Want a ring that’s wearable for every day while also being sparkly and glamorous? This diamond signet ring stands out on the hand, adding a statement to any outfit.
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