THE FOUNDATION STORY

Sisters and co-founders Casey and Janine Melvin (Princeton ‘10 and Brown ‘14) made a huge career switch from law students and future attorneys to startup co-CEOs in February 2017, but the experience that sparked the idea occurred the previous summer.

In July 2016, Casey and Janine were in the middle of their semester abroad participating in the comparative international law program at Oxford. They were worn out from having just completed their 1L year--the notoriously intensive first year of law school. But nothing could keep the pair from taking full advantage of the proximity to other European countries on the weekends during the program. Both sisters were aware it would be the last opportunity to travel for a long time given the nature of entering the legal profession (read: 2L internship, bar exam, job search).

The two were on a search for a memento to remember their amazing summer together. The experience that followed would change the trajectory of their professional lives. One weekend on the Spanish island of Palma, the sisters entered a family-owned jewelry store and began looking through the glass cases of pieces. Janine had spotted a simple 14K yellow gold signet ring first and asked the owner to retrieve it from the case. He let us know it was the last one in stock and that he would personally etch initials on the face. When she slipped the ring on her finger, it was clear it was far too large for even her middle finger. Casey tried it on next, and it fit her right ring finger perfectly.

Casey made a deal with her sister--she would find a similar signet ring online and would have it engraved. The two agreed they would probably have an easier time online finding a ring in Janine’s small size. They were wrong.

They were shocked at the lack of options for affordable customizable pieces available for sale online.

They realized there was a void in the market-- one that existed due to the human labor cost necessary to create custom jewelry pieces in the past. With the progress in technology made in recent years, they believed the customization process could be automated through software development...and so THEFUTUREOFJEWELRY was born.