Getting Personal
As a mother of three daughters, Pearl Pickens has realized that one of the most significant things she’s done in her life was showing her children the importance of following one’s passions. She believes that when you love what you do, you never work a day in your life, and she’s so grateful that her girls have been able witness this through her own journey with her business, Personally Pearl Handmade Goods.
Pearl is no stranger to owning a business. After over 12 years of working as an accounting clerk for a construction company, she realized she was working in overdrive so often that she missed spending time with her family. She came up with a plan to start her own cleaning business, which would allow her more of a work life balance. She wanted to incorporate more of the things she truly enjoyed doing, and decided to begin dabbling in jewelry making. At one point in her early career she had worked in the jewelry industry, and while there, she became a certified diamondtologist, so this was something she was familiar with, and excited by.
A few years ago, Pearl was introduced to the world of vendor shows. While she was nervous for her first show, she ended up getting lots of positive feedback and sold numerous pieces. This experience ignited her fire, and since then, she made the decision to wean off her cleaning business and focus exclusively on jewelry. This spring, it will be three years since she launched Personally Pearl Handmade Goods, and she couldn’t be happier.
It was always important to Pearl that her jewelry be financially accessible for everyone, with prices ranging from $5 to $40. She prides herself on having something for everyone and likes to have selections for women, men, and children. She hopes to have something to catch the eye of every person that browses her selection. Her favorite part about selling jewelry is seeing the emotional reaction that people have when they see her pieces, and the way that they connect to what she makes.
Pearl was born and raised in York, which naturally made her drawn to be a part of The York Merchant. She is thankful to have such a beautiful space to display her jewelry where people can see everything in person, and even try them on if they see something they like! Another thing that made The York Merchant stand out to Pearl was the fact that it was a collection of all original makers. She has met so many wonderful makers throughout her journey, and values how much everyone puts their heart and soul into what they do. She says they lift each other up and support each other. Being a part of this little family with a common bond is truly special and important to her.
Pearl also offers custom work and loves bringing her customers’ visions to life. Trying different mediums and ideas fuels her creativity and motivates her to keep experimenting and evolving as an artist.
To contact Pearl and see more of her work, please visit her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/personallypearlhandmadegoods. You can also shop online at www.personallypearlshop.etsy.com.