Rising Stars: Meet Bethany Schuelke and Juliet Baker

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bethany Schuelke and Juliet Baker.

Hi Bethany and Juliet, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Founded in 2014, Hope Anchored Designs is a luxury handcrafted jewelry company based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Classic with a modern twist, Hope Anchored Designs uses superior craftsmanship to create one-of-a-kind jewelry. Hope Anchored Designs has customers across the globe, is worn by celebrities, and has been featured in numerous magazines and tv shows. Hope Anchored Designs was started as a way to raise money to rescue women out of human trafficking in India.

We both loved making jewelry and have been dedicated to bettering our craft by training under a world wax carver and then training in a stone setting with former head jewelers of Tiffany & Co. Our goal is to add a bit of sparkle to someone’s day through engagement rings, infinity bracelets, and just because jewelry that celebrates life’s moments.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not having a public space of our own. We started as a way to raise money to rescue women from human trafficking in India. We started and currently fund two women’s homes that house 12 women during a year-long program. During the year, these women receive medical care, counseling, college education and are loved on while they heal from their trauma. With a significant portion of our funds going towards rescuing women, we don’t have the funds to cover a public space. We have a private jewelry studio, but it is barely enough space for us. We are so fortunate to have great partnerships with local businesses around North Carolina who open their spaces for us to do pop-ups. This allows us to offer our infinity bracelets but for limited hours weekly. We also offer Private Infinity Permanent Jewelry Parties. We bring everything to you. You and your friends or family gather and get the Infinity Jewelry personalized and welded on your wrists or ankles.

2020- Juliet here- I had a really miserable pregnancy in 2020 with terrible morning sickness right as we were launching our infinity bracelet line. We didn’t want to wait, so Bethany was amazing picking up the slack and working overtime to get everything made on time. We were challenged to really plan for the future as our personal lives were changing and what the business was going to look like going forward. We are happy to say that the newest little jeweler was born in January and loves to watch us set stones and see the sparkling jewelry. She loves her time at home with dad when Mom and Aunt B are having pop-ups or at private infinity jewelry parties.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
We handcraft fine jewelry. We have been making fine jewelry for seven years with a focus on engagement rings, moissanite jewelry, and infinity bracelets.

Right now, we are busy with our new infinity jewelry line. We have wanted to offer these for five years and started offering these in 2020. These permanent bracelets and anklets are so fun to customize for people with different chains and links to choose from. With a quick flash of light, our customers end up with a bracelet or anklet that is a perfect fit. It is a special memory and adds a bit of everyday sparkle to a wrist or ankle.

How do you define success?
Success to us means that our customers are happy with their jewelry. We hope they smile when they look at their jewelry. We want them to remember getting it zapped on with their mom and grandmother. We have military spouses get jewelry to feel connected when they are apart. When someone touches their wedding ring or engagement ring, they remember their special day.

Success means we get to rescue more women every year and provide them with a safe home. I think we have over 90 women who have gone through the two homes we sponsor. These homes are part of a network of over ten homes. There are hundreds of women who have said they would like to come through the program and be rescued, and we don’t have the space for them. Success means 100 homes and not having to tell a woman who wants to be rescued that we don’t have space for her yet.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://hopeanchoreddesigns.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeanchoreddesigns/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HopeAnchoredDesigns/