The month of July marks nearly four months in quarantine for many businesses and Seattleites alike, yet as positive coronavirus cases continue to soar across the country, businesses in Seattle are attempting to reopen and recoup lost revenue from months of forced closures. The COVID outbreak has been particularly hard on communities of color, not to Black-owned businesses. We recently sat down with Valerie Madison to learn more about how the COVID shut-down has impacted her fine jewelry business.

As a Black Latina jewelry designer, Valerie creates a wide range of heirloom-quality jewelry for clients including engagement rings, wedding bands, earrings, necklaces, and more. Each Valerie Madison piece is made from recycled metals and eco-friendly stones.

Q- How has Valerie Madison Jewelry been impacted by the spring season stay-at-home order in Washington?

We were very fortunate that the timing of the stay-at-home order aligned with our planned closure in April. We had already intended to close our studio for a move to a much larger retail space when the stay-at-home order was implemented. In many ways, we were more prepared than most since we expected some downtime without in-person appointments. We were not, however, expecting to stay online-only for this long and our remodel has been delayed.

Q- What new service offerings have emerged at Valerie Madison Jewelry due to COVID?

In January, we fortuitously set up for virtual appointments for our long-distance customers, so we leaned into streamlining and expanding that offering. We have also added ring sizers to our online store for those who are not yet ready or able to come in. 

Q- How have your wholesale accounts been impacted by COVID?

Our jewelry is carried in several retail stores around the country, but the transition to our new Madrona showroom was intended to help us sell directly to our customers. We’re thankful that our primary sales were never through wholesale accounts so the impact has been very minimal. 

Q- What is Valerie Madison Jewelry doing to prepare for phase 2 reopening?

We don’t have a firm date for reopening yet since our space is still under remodel. We hope to be open in the middle of July and will be rolling out new safety protocols as we plan out the space. Currently, we qualify for phase 2, which means keeping a limited store capacity and a time limit per customer. We are still fine-tuning all of our new safety procedures and will post them on our site when they’re ready. 

Q- What will be different in your business once restrictions are lifted and how will the COVID pandemic ultimately impact your business growth?

 We had plans for a launch party, but obviously things change. Since the entire showroom is new we are adapting all of the safety policies into it. Think shopping appointments, masks (we’re having chic ones made for our staff!), limited capacity, and lots of hand sanitizer. In terms of growth, we’ve had an unexpected expansion during this time. COVID-19 made us work harder and become stronger with our online offerings and social media presence. 

Q- How do you think consumer shopping habits have changed due to COVID with regard to sustainability?

It’s hard to say how shopping habits have changed. As we slowly transition back into traditional retail availability we’ll start to see how it goes. Everyone will be learning a lot over these next few months or even years. It’s very possible that we’ve irrevocably moved even closer to a preference for digital commerce given safety concerns. If so, the sustainability aspect may take an extra hit with the shipping materials necessary. 

Q- How can people support Black-Owned businesses in a long term and meaningful way?

There are so many ways people can support Black-owned businesses today and every day. There are lists of Black-owned businesses in almost every industry. Browse through their offerings and save your favorites to shop later. Think twice when you’re shopping and ask yourself, “Could I diversify how I spend my dollars?”. Research a Black-owned or POC-owned business and think about supporting them instead. Obviously you can’t always do this for every item you need to purchase but every little bit helps and ensures that you are supporting not only the business owner but also the communities that they live in and families that they in turn support.

Valerie Madison Jewelry is located at 1411 34th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122. Due to COVID, they are currently offering virtual appointments only but are hoping to open the doors to the new showroom in mid-July. In the meantime, keep in touch with Valerie Madison on Instagram here.