A Conversation with Janice Park of The Pink Reef

There’s a Fort Worth boutique called Prippie (Preppy + Hippie), just across the street from my office. On a recent visit, while browsing their vibrant mix of home décor and fashion, I struck up a conversation with Janice Park, who was in town promoting her jewelry line, The Pink Reef. Her pieces can be found at Prippie, online, and in boutiques around the world. Beyond the beauty of the work itself, Janice brings a deep sense of care to what she does, using her business to support communities across the globe. This conversation below offers a closer look at her story, process, and distinctive aesthetic.

How did you decide to start your own jewelry company?

I’ve always been a creative person with a designer's spirit — I played three instruments growing up and have been a painter my whole life. I am inspired by impressionists, and Monet is my favorite with his use of dreamy pastel colors and florals. I started making floral jewelry while I was working as a journalist, and they ended up selling really well. My husband encouraged me to make more designs, and a few years ago, the business picked up tremendously. Today, our jewelry is sold all over the world, in Dubai, Germany, Australia, and hundreds of retailers across the U.S. — including Fort Worth boutiques like Prippie.

I believe the reason we were able to grow so fast is because our designs are unique, and we emphasize the fact that we are handmade and hand painted by American artisans. Some of the artists we work with have been hand painting jewelry for over 50 years. The handmade jewelry industry in the U.S. is not what it once was, but the Pink Reef and its customers are helping support and employ American artisans to keep the industry thriving.

Prior to running the Pink Reef full-time, I was a journalist for 16 years. It was an incredible experience — I met a lot of interesting people and felt like I was helping the community. I must have gone to thousands of fire and murder scenes, and I got to speak with the families of victims and did my best to tell their story and give meaning to each person. Oftentimes, it meant meeting people on the worst day of their life: people who have lost children, military families who lost loved ones, and more. In addition to supporting the handmade jewelry industry, I've tried to segue what I did as a journalist with my business and make an effort to give back to the community. Just a few months ago, we donated over $27,000 worth of jewelry to the Johns Hopkins Family Pavilion to benefit patients undergoing cancer treatment.

What does your design process look like?

I'm a little bit extra and known for my statements! To me, color is so important. People have told me the line has a vintage feel to it, and I mainly look at color cards from the past. Regardless of the piece, if it's the right color combination, it will sell really well. Last fall, I fell in love with magenta, and it turned out to be this year's Pantone color of the year! We got a shout out in The Zoe Report for our magenta earrings. Pinks and whites always sell well, but it's hard to determine what will be a best-selling color combination.

Beyond color, the focus of our line is florals, butterflies, and bows. I'll look at thousands of different raw pieces — whether it's a bug or a flower — before deciding what might look good together. We once found a pressed orchid that needed to be brought back to life and turned out to be a really popular design. One of my best-selling florals is a shell floral with a tropic purple and an aqua stone in the middle. They look great together, but it's not an obvious combination. I'm big into unique, special and different, and I've seen a big demand for that. After a hard three years, people are looking for investment pieces that are really beautiful with personality. We get a lot of "I don't see anything like it." Because everything is hand painted, no two pieces are alike. It makes our pieces more special — they are designed to be treasured and passed down.

How do you select the artisans you work with?

We are open to selling our products to any business that believes in and loves our designs. We have 14 sales people throughout the U.S., and we also do markets where designers can debut their products. A lot of people find me on Instagram, including the international retailers we partner with. When it comes to sourcing our materials and making our products, I mostly partner with family-run businesses. We feel like one big family, creating together and succeeding together.

The owner of one of my factories is a designer herself, and she goes out of her way to help me find unique ways to elevate the brand, using custom castings and special materials. I recently found an artisan who does pearl embellishment on bows. We make our jewelry using 100-year-old molds from a family business run by a father and son team. One of my main plating companies is run by two brothers. There is something about a family business — they work so hard and offer exceptional service. We also like to remind people that when they buy the Pink Reef, they are also supporting all of the family-run small businesses and American artisans who we work with.

How can people support you?

Just wearing the Pink Reef is a huge support! Our jewelry is a great conversation starter, and our world is so much more connected than people realize. One of my favorite examples of this is when a customer wore our jewelry to a restaurant in D.C. and got a compliment from a woman who was visiting from Texas. She told her about the Pink Reef, and the next thing you know, we are shipping a bunch of earrings to be auctioned off at a charity event for a Fort Worth nonprofit called Cuisine for Healing! All because someone in D.C. decided to wear our earrings and share our story. We are eternally grateful to all our customers that have fallen in love with the designs and continue to support us year after year.

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