How I went from hating rings, to starting a fine jewellery brand

I always hated jewellery.

An active mum in regional NSW, always in the trenches of life (sometimes not just metaphorically), I couldn’t seem to wear it. Broken, lost, tarnished… none of it lasted, and none of it made me feel good. It was only when, as a side hustle whim, I started selling gold plated jewellery on the side that I realised why.

Pre-empting a house move, I wanted to have a backup plan for making income just in case I couldn’t find full time work in our new location. And so, after some days of searching online, I found a wholesaler selling gold plated rings and earrings, brought some stock, slapped some branding on it, and started selling.

And it worked. Pieces were selling. Friends, family, previous clients, bowerbirds that loved a shiny trinket for their collection. But I had the ick, and it was strong. My name was on this, and the quality of what I was selling was not there. Some pieces arrived bent, others with the gold already wearing off and showing the cheaper metals below. SHUT IT DOWN. With boxes of stock still on hand, I shut down the website. But a fire in me had started.

I dived into researching – The differences in gold plated, vermeil, solid gold. Why this mattered, where the precious metals came from. Which businesses actually sold solid gold vs cheaper options and who just didn’t disclose those details. Before I knew it, I was deep down the rabbit hole. And from there, there was a path.

I had some non-negotiables. Items beyond a sell that actually meant something.

To use gold actually mined here. We live in Australia - home to so many amazing resources. Why would we not utilise what is available right here? With ethical and sustainable mining practices, along with keeping the supply chain local along with the jobs to sustain that.

To design pieces for women like me. Women that do. Those caring for littles, wiping faces, holding hands. Planting things that grow, caring for homes, and communities and animals. Growing businesses and dominating board rooms. For women who want to feel special during it all.

And so ByCC Fine Jewellery in its current form was born. My first piece I design in December 2024 – the Piper ring which is still one of our biggest sellers and was my biggest leap. It was a step into the unknown. This is a self-funded business – I work another full-time job to help finance it and all profits from sales go back into funding the next design. So it’s a slow process but we’re building slowly and that is ok.

Over the last two years I have learnt that you just take it a day at a time. One pop up at a time. One failure at a time. But eventually one sale at a time. A reinvestment into the next piece. A design crafted. Feedback received. And the next move made.

But to see the women around me feel something from what I’m building. To come back again and again. To gift pieces to those they love. To wear ByCC with pride. Amid the swings and roundabouts, that is what makes all of this worth it. So a note – if you have a creative dream, you can make it a reality, one small step at a time. Believe, put in the hours and there’s no stopping you.

Ash x