i've always wanted a jade jellybean
a breakdown of my first bespoke jewelry experience with bay area-based softgoodstudio.
I believe there are some objects in this universe that you are instinctually and inexplicably pulled towards.
For example, I’ve always been drawn to the womb-like contour of a bean. The roundness, the little divot, the plumpness—it’s the most comforting shape in the world. My brain associates it with protection and sustenance. Only good things come in that shape.
And then there’s jade, which I’d characterize as more of an inherited fondness. Jade bangles and disc pendants were the mode of adornment among the women in my family, so that bled into my aesthetic sensibilities.
As I started developing my own taste for jewelry in my 20s, I liked these two things “separately.”
I covered the y2k bean-shaped revival in 2023 as a response to Olivia Rodrigo wearing a black lacquered Elsa Peretti bean to the Grammy’s (styled by Danielle Goldberg, of course). At the time I had my first and only Elsa Peretti treasure—a sterling silver bean pendant that opened up like a locket. It was originally designed for the Halston as a solid perfume vessel.
Fast forward two years, and my collection has grown. The second Peretti bean piece I acquired was a jade (or jadeite, I’m not certain) bean pendant I found on Poshmark for $250 as a massive stroke of luck…it wasn’t even listed under “Elsa Peretti.” It’s a crowd favorite whenever I share it on here, and I wish it weren’t so difficult to come by on the secondhand market :/
Anyways, that jade bean was the infinity stone of my jewelry box. It clicked that two design elements I loved (JADE MATERIAL + BEAN SHAPE) could be combined in a harmonious and beautiful way. It charmed me so deeply, I started imagining what a jade bean ring could look like…
I searched high and low for months on eBay, Ruby Lane, 1stDibs, etc. for some approximation of the jade bean ring I had conjured in my head. But nothing came up. That’s when I started wondering if I should go to bespoke route—which I’ve never done. It felt like a very “adult” thing to do, but I smiled at the idea of saving up for an ultra-special piece and putting my own ideas/sketches into it. Slow fashion in practice, right?
Thankfully, I knew just the Bay Area jeweler to ask: Emilie Jehng of Soft Good Studio. She was truly the PERFECT artist for this bespoke project. It was important to me to work with an Asian American jeweler who shared a cultural connection to jade. Also, her work just speaks for itself. Engraved 14K persimmon signets, sailor moon-inspired lockets, green gemstones that glow like peeled translucent grapes…it’s easy to fall in love with the world of Emilie Jehng. (Is it a hot take to say that her work is what Sandy Liang wishes her jewelry line could be??).
I sent Emilie a bespoke interest form on December 2nd, 2024. What followed was a long and thoughtful process that culminated in the jade bean ring of my dreams. (I should note that the lengthy timeline was primarily driven by my pickiness, not Emilie’s typical turnaround time! I wasn’t in a rush). It arrived last week and it’s the most perfect little thing I’ve held in my palm.
The rest of this newsletter is a detailed breakdown of the process from start to finish.
I hope it’s helpful for anyone who is bespoke-jewelry curious! There was a thread in the chat a few days ago about someone who wanted to commission a jade bean design from a local jeweler, and I LOVE that we are taking our desires in our own hands and supporting independent artists.
It also tickles me to think there could be a sisterhood of the jade bean or something like that.
Winter
Ahhh, I remember this day so distinctly. The air was crisp and soft. It was a few weeks before Christmas, and I met Emilie at Strawberry Creek Park to discuss the initial design over piping hot hojicha lattes. I wore my aquamarine puffy J.Hannah signet ring as a baseline for my ring size + relative size/shape/bezel of the imaginary jade bean.
We sat on a brick curb and I started talking about the design. I threw out words like “milky,” “puffy,” and “squishy.” Emilie jotted everything down in her notebook. I showed her my ugly line sketches, which she would turn into anatomically accurate CAD drawings a few weeks later.
We looked through her sample assortment of jadeite and jade stones.
While they were all very pretty, I knew that none of them were the right fit. I wanted a very particular stone—a specific shade of pale greenish-blue, medium color saturation, with a milkiness to it. Emilie said she would be able to source a specific jade stone for me (she’d keep an eye out at the Tucson Gem Show!).
Emilie’s sketches—squeal! Seeing these made it feel more real, not just a vague image in my head. Is this what Geppetto felt like when he made Pinnochio?
It was so helpful to see three level of “plumpness.” I decided I liked option a best.
Spring
This season was all about sourcing the perfect stone. Emilie sent me photos from the Tucson Gem show. I ruled out the ones that were too pale, too clear, too….green???, too shiny, etc.
Eventually we found The One. It reminded me of a dragon egg.
I professionally blacked out during April for tax season but we reconnected to confirm sizing/bezel stuff so Emilie could sent the stone to a lapidarist, who specializes in cutting and shaping stones (what a cool job).
Summer
Emilie sent me a photo of the finished bean from the lapidarist. It was so adorable I wanted to squeeze it through the screen and pop it like a pimple.
It took another week or two to get the wax casted for the actual ring in 14K gold, and then…it shipped and became the best mail day ever. I know I will wear this for all seasons in life to come.
You can order an bespoke piece from softgoodstudio here.
Crossing your fingers for a lucky secondhand find? I’m always on the lookout for interesting vintage bean-shaped and jade jewelry, which I share in the secondhand sonar google doc (a paid reader perk).
xo viv
Thanks for being here. You can find me on IG and TT. My wardrobe pieces and recs are saved here—unless it’s vintage, of course ;)
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Working with you was a dream ❤️
"I professionally blacked out during April for tax season" literally mood. i LOVE the way it came out viv, what a dream piece and the loveliest collection of beans ugh!!!