Some of television’s biggest stars will be learning about unique hand-crafted jewelry made right here in Ladysmith during this weekend’s 41st annual Daytime Emmy Awards celebrations.
Jada Bohmer, who creates personalized hand-stamped jewelry in her Ladysmith home, will be at the Emmys in Los Angeles to share her creations with movers and shakers in the television industry.
Bohmer received an e-mail from the company that puts together the gift bags for the Daytime Emmys each year. They said their researchers had found her 3 Little Gems jewelry online and thought it was unique, and they asked if she would be interested in having 3 Little Gems pieces included in the gift bags for the 2014 Daytime Emmy Awards.
Bohmer will be at the Emmys on Sunday, June 22 in person, as she’s been invited to spend two days in the Gifting Lounge, where she’ll have a table and be able to show her jewelry to 250 people.
“It’s very exciting,” she said.
Bohmer had to have 1,100 pieces for the Emmy gift bags, and she decided that instead of sending anything generic, she would send metal gift cards, and then the guests can go to her website and customize a piece of jewelry just for them.
Bohmer is bringing a friend who is a professional photographer and lives in Los Angeles to the Emmys with her, and she’ll be documenting the whole experience.
Bohmer says the idea of going to the Emmys with her jewelry feels “a little surreal.”
“I’d say never would I think this, but that’s not true,” she said. “I’ve always dreamt of big things for this business — I’ve always kept that image in my head because I’m a big believer in the law of attraction.
Bohmer feels this experience is a great reminder that anything is possible.
“I’m just a little town girl working from her dining room, working with her friend, and I’m going to the Emmys,” she said. “Dream big — they can come true.”
Bohmer’s jewelry line consists of hand-stamped personalized pieces, such as necklaces, bracelets, rings, ornaments, key chains and cremation urn memorial pendants featuring inspirational quotes and important names and dates.
“I try to create unique designs, pieces that are funky, one-of-a-kind creations and try to make them interesting and beautiful,” she said. “I work very closely with the customers to create something for them, which is my favourite part. If someone can think of something they want, most likely, I can make it.”
Bohmer’s company will be three years old this August
Bohmer has three children, and when she started her business, her youngest was one and half, and she was working in her husband’s plumbing company, doing his books and hating it.
One day, she found an old industrial stamp set in the shop.
“It literally fell on me,” she laughed.
Bohmer began stamping industrial washers. She made her husband’s aunt a necklace as a gift, and
she really liked it. Bohmer played around with the stamp set, and over time, she acquired a nice stamp set and jewelry-grade material, and she started giving the jewelry she made to family and friends. Her husband built her a work station in what used to be their dining room, and she started selling her jewelry online through Etsy.
“Ever since then, I’ve gotten orders every day,” she said, noting the farthest order has come from Dubai.
Bohmer and her good friend Lisa Pridham work in Bohmer’s home from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. while their children are at school. The two women have known each other for 10 years since their oldest children were born.
“I knew there would be nobody better for the job than her, and I was right,” said Bohmer “I design and stamp, and Lisa assembles and ships for me.”
She says she does a lot of corporate orders, as well as a lot of fundraiser orders.
Bohmer has created about 5,000 pieces since she started 3 Little Gems.
To learn more about Bohmer’s jewelry, visit www.3littlegems.com.