Hello Lovers and Gems,

I’ve been wanting to write this for a while, and I’ve hesitated because it feels vulnerable in a way I’m not always used to sharing publicly. Owning a small business is one of the most beautiful, meaningful things I’ve ever done. It’s creative and connective and deeply personal. It has given me community, purpose, and a way to build something with my own hands. And at the same time, it has also been one of the hardest things I have ever walked through.

Since 2020, we’ve experienced more than I ever imagined we would. We’ve been vandalized, looted, and robbed more than once. We’ve navigated rising gold prices, shifting tariffs, shipping increases, and supply chain disruptions that seemed to change by the month. We’ve lived inside a financial climate that feels uncertain on its calmest days. From the outside, I know it can look polished with styled photos, new collections, jewelry glowing in beautiful light. What you don’t always see are the seasons of survival behind the scenes. The recalculations. The hard conversations. The quiet stress. The decisions made late at night.

If I’m honest, it’s uncomfortable to admit that out loud. There’s a part of me that feels embarrassed saying we’ve been holding on tightly at times. But I also know we are not the only small businesses navigating this reality. I’ve watched so many beautiful shops close quietly, without fanfare and just all of a sudden gone.

 

If I’m being completely transparent, what I want is simple. I want to stay open. I want this retail space to exist. I want you to walk in and get your Lazer Links permanently welded on your wrist to mark a moment in your life. I want you to sit at our table and design your custom ring. I want to keep creating the collections I’ve been building for over twenty years. I want us to remain a neighborhood space for high-vibe gifts and ritual tools and be a place that feels grounding and intentional in a world that often feels chaotic.

And I also want to continue creating good, loving, safe jobs.

That part matters deeply to me. I want to offer work that feels stable and respectful, where people can grow, receive raises, and build real opportunity inside the jewelry industry. I want like-minded creatives, people who care about craftsmanship, intention, and community, and to have a place where their work is valued and supported. I don’t take lightly the responsibility of being able to provide employment. This business isn’t just my dream. It supports real lives.

But for that to happen, I have to evolve. For a long time, I believed growth meant constant expansion with more marketing, more ads, more output, more scaling. I believed pushing harder every year was the only way forward. I’m proud of what we built. This company was created without investors, without family money, without a safety net. I am first-generation. I am self-made. For years like most small businesses I survived on business loans and credit cards to keep the vision alive. I don’t anymore. I haven’t for over two years. Everything happening now is happening on a real cash basis, with real numbers and real intention. This is not something you will hear a lot of business owners share about but in the spirit of TRUTH I share this with you. 

I am no longer willing to be tethered to systems that demand expansion at the expense of sustainability but without doing all these extra things like ads, we will need your support and you helping spread the word. 

I’m also stepping back into being the voice of this brand. I’m taking back control of the marketing. I’m allowing this company to reflect the human who built it instead of trying to compete with corporations for attention. I no longer believe exhaustion is proof of dedication. I no longer believe scaling is the only marker of success. 

And here is something I feel more strongly about than ever:

Where you choose to spend your money right now truly matters. In uncertain times, your dollar becomes a form of participation. It is not neutral. It is a vote. It is a signal. It directs energy. When you choose to buy from a small business, you are not just purchasing a product. You are choosing to sustain a storefront instead of a warehouse. You are choosing to support real wages instead of shareholder returns. You are choosing to keep neighborhoods alive instead of feeding systems that consolidate power.

Your money builds the world you want to live in. Every sale determines what survives.

And because of that, I believe businesses also have a responsibility to be clear about what they stand for.

We believe in dignity. We believe in protecting vulnerable families. We believe that systems that cause harm deserve to be challenged.

For the rest of this month, we are committing to donate 5% of all sales to Juntos, an organization that supports immigrant families through community organizing, education, and advocacy. Their work focuses on defending the rights of immigrant communities and pushing back against unjust detention and deportation systems. 

If you want to learn more about them, you can visit vamosjuntos.org. If we are going to ask you to spend your money with us, then we also need to be clear about where a portion of that money flows.

If you have ever purchased a piece from us, please know you didn’t just buy something beautiful. You supported a woman building something with her bare hands. You supported artists, makers, and a physical space that holds community. You supported jobs that allow people to grow inside an industry they love. And this month, your purchase will also support immigrant families fighting for dignity and protection.

I don’t know exactly what the next chapter looks like. But I do know I am choosing courage over fear, sustainability over burnout, and integrity over optics. I am choosing to build something that can last — something rooted in beauty, responsibility, and community.

If this space has meant something to you in any season, thank you. Your support has never been abstract to me. It has always been personal.

In truth and from my heart,
Angela Monaco