MEET LIBBY DIAMENT, OWNER AND FOUNDER OF DIAMENT JEWELRY
- What inspired you to create Diament Jewelry?
- I really love the thrill of creating something and selling it! Since I was a small girl, I had an ambitious entrepreneurial spirit and started by selling raspberries and bracelets at the end of our driveway. When I was in my early twenties, I knew that I loved working with my hands and selling things, so jewelry was a natural fit. After 10 years in the jewelry industry, an opportunity arose to open a retail store and I took the leap. It was a very natural extension for me, and I love those same aspects of the business that I enjoyed in the early days. Working with people and seeing them enjoy the shops is so rewarding.
- Why did you choose to open a second location?
- I saw the need for a cool baby store in the Northern Virginia area. After having some success and a lot of fun with the first, a second store felt like a natural progression too! I very much want to keep the brand niche, however, I could see at least a third store someday.
- Do you have any advice for others looking to start their own business?
- Sure! I love giving advice to new business owners. One of the most important things is to start small and start today! I really like the saying “They didn’t build Rome in a day”. Most of the time businesses don’t start overnight and when you don’t have a lot of capital, you have to start small. For example, even if you only have one extra hour per day, start building the business with that hour. Do one task that can help you to move forward. The key word is building. It takes a lot of work, often years, to grow. Just do something each day to inch forward and when you look back in 15 years, you might be shocked at how far you have come. Perseverance is key to being successful in business.
- What’s your favorite part about being in the Shirlington neighborhood?
- When I first opened the store, many told me on the first few days that the locals are going to offer lots of support and encouragement and boy they were right! We love all of the locals that live nearby as well as visitors. The abundance of great food is also amazing! Lastly, I love all of the free parking around, making it so easy to stop by for customers.
- What are your favorite products you have in your store currently?
- At the Shirlington location, I really love to sell the baby gift items that we offer. We just picked up a new baby clothing brand called Angel Dear, that many people know and love, so those are enjoyable pieces to sell. It’s also equally fun to sell jewelry at the store. We do offer many baby items, but it’s always a fun surprise for customers to see the huge jewelry table!
- Anything else you would like first-time customers to know about Diament Jewelry?
- We carry many small brands that you won’t find everywhere, which customers seem to love. Whether it’s a cool European brand, or funny stickers, there is really something to discover for everyone. We also work to find high-quality, yet affordable items so that you won’t break the bank. We are loving the reaction so far to what we offer and we can’t wait for the word to spread.
Diament Jewelry
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Libby Diament of libbydiament.com started selling her designs in 2008 at craft fairs in NYC, while still working for MAC Cosmetics. She completed a Comprehensive Jewelry Training program in the evenings while working at MAC. In 2010, she embarked full time as Diament and fell in love with retail.
For 10 years, Libby scoured the country for unique vintage parts to incoporated into her jewelry lline. She has attended hundreds of craft fairs.
In 2017, the opportunity came about to open a store in the Washington D.C. area and the brand has been growing since!
Read more about some of Libby’s favorite things on her new blog!
