Photo Credit: Samantha Robshaw Photography
Holly Daniels Christensen is the CEO of Dune Jewelry & Co. (www.dunejewelry.com) the Experiential Jewelry company famous for using sand and earth elements from thousands of memorable and iconic locations around the world. With the holidays approaching, Holly tells us why Dune Jewelry & Co is the perfect sentimental gift.
FWM: You started making beach sand jewelry at her kitchen table back in 2007. Where are you today?
Today I am a grateful and proud CEO. Dune Jewelry & Co. is a multi-million-dollar small business that creates experiential jewelry to capture life’s most precious moments. I have an extraordinary team of 28 creatives that work hard to push the business forward each and every day. We ship to over 700 retail partners around the world and have a thriving e-commerce website that is ever-changing and evolving. I feel lucky (almost) every single day.
Sterling Silver Neptune Necklace handmade with shells from the Outer Banks.
FWM: How does Dune Jewelry connect people to places and experiences in a unique, meaningful way?
We handcraft our designs using sand and earth elements from memorable and iconic locations around the world. Once you choose a design, you then choose from our Sandbank which holds over 5,000 unique destinations – or you can send in sand or elements that hold a special meaning to you. A few examples would be sand from your favorite travel adventure or childhood beach home, soil from the Appalachian trail, pressed flowers from your wedding bouquet, clay from the canyons of Arizona, or sand from the golf bunker where you played your first hole in one! Everyone’s memories are unique, and my greatest passion is to help you remember them with a tangible reminder that you can hold on to forever. I want you to ‘live for the moment, then take it with you.
FWM: The holidays are approaching, why is your jewelry the perfect gift?
There are so many reasons that Dune Jewelry is the perfect gift. Without sounding too “salesy”, here you go:
1. We are SUPER personal. Every single piece is custom crafted for the recipient.
2. We are owned and run by women.
3. We donate a portion of every purchase to important coastal and global causes and have donated over $160,000 to various charities over the past 5 years.
4. We are NOT going to get stuck on a cargo ship. We are made in Massachusetts and ready to deliver.
5. We have a lifetime warranty and happiness guarantee because integrity is hard to come by these days.
6. We are passionately inclusive, and we love our customers. We’ll show you in the way we treat you.
7. There is something for everyone in Dune’s impressive catalog of design options. We offer necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings for both women and men; golf divot repair tools and ball markers, and for those people who prefer home accessories to wearable ones, Dune handcrafts practical personalized gifts, such as wine stoppers, photo frames and key chains, plus holiday-perfect ornaments; and we have experiential candles!
With so many memories captured as digital photos that are stored in your phone or computer, Dune creates tangible and eternal reminders of life’s most precious moments. The most treasured gifts are those that remind the recipient of a special experience, a moment in time or a special place, and Dune Jewelry does just that!
FWM: Your beautiful designs feature natural elements from as far away as Indonesia. Tell us more.
Can you believe it?! Our customers are the BEST and they send us sand and elements every time they travel so they can create a design to commemorate the trip. Inevitably they send a bit too much, so we clean it and catalog it in our Sandbank (with their permission). From Positano, Italy to Gab Gab Beach in Guam, to over 250 unique beaches on Cape Cod, we have over 5,000 locations for you to choose from. Not only do we have sand, but we have pressed flowers, crushed granite from the Rocky Mountains, shells from the Hawaiian shore, and more. Nature provides us with a vast palette of colors and textures that will absolutely surprise you and make you smile.
FWM: Your clients can choose sand from the “Sandbank or order ready-made pieces.
There are so many ways to personalize your Dune. You can explore our website, choose the silhouette that you love, then add sand and earth elements that are meaningful to you, or we offer free personal shopping to help you create your designs. If you prefer to order something that will ship immediately, you can choose one of our “ready to ship” designs found under GIFTS on our website. Most of our personalized designs take up to 3 weeks to create and ship but our Larimar and Hawaii Shell Collection can ship within 48 hours.
FWM: Tell us about your collaboration with NYC Stylist, Dy’amond Breedlove.
I love to work with creative, ambitious women and Dy’amond embodies all of that (and then some!) She’s the epitome of NYC bold with a splash of Parisian restraint and her style is unforgettable. We had worked together on quite a few shoots before it dawned on me that she would be an incredible collaborator. I brought the idea to her with a vague outline, and she ran with it. The collections are a complete departure from our usual aesthetic and that’s exactly what I was goaling for. The Breedlove Necklace in silver is my current favorite – and mine is filled with sand from Santorini, Greece which is a trip I’m manifesting in the near future.
FWM: Do you have a few favorites?
My favorites are ever-changing. We introduce a lot of designs each year because our pieces are collectible so it’s hard to narrow it down. I would say the Breedlove Necklace & Brooch as well as the Camille Kostek Cosmos Collection are what I’m obsessed with right now.
FWM: What have you learned as an entrepreneur over the years?
Being an entrepreneur isn’t easy. There’s this popular misconception that all of a sudden, you’re “the boss”. You can do what you like when you like – and frankly, that is a huge load of bollocks (as my sales manager would say). Being an entrepreneur is the greatest adventure of my life, but it’s HARD. You no longer answer to yourself, you answer to every team member and every customer who has put their trust in you. You worry about things that a lot of people can’t understand. What if I let people down? How many payrolls are there this month? Where can I cut costs without hurting the business? Do I have the right people on my bus? Could I be growing faster? Should I be growing at all right now? How can I streamline and make my business more efficient? Am I going to need an investor, or can I do it alone? Is digital marketing truly giving me any return on investment or am I throwing dollars out the window? The questions are endless, and you have to have thick skin and a work ethic that won’t quit. Most importantly, you have to be willing to get back up every single time you’re knocked down. It’s endless and it’s exciting and I’m glad I chose this path. I would say that if you’re just getting started make sure to find a mentor to bounce ideas off of. Many cities have an organization called SCORE that is funded by the Small Business Association, and they will match you with free mentors who can be incredibly helpful. Also, it’s important to recognize that you won’t know everything in the beginning. Stay curious and open to listening and learning.
Follow Holly Daniels Christensen on her personal Instagram: sandy__hands
For more information on Dune Jewelry visit, www.dunejewelry.com
Follow Dune Jewelry on social media:
Instagram: DuneJewelry
Facebook: /dunejewelry
Twitter: @dunejewelry
