The Cheyanne Symone story started with the mission of seeing “Incredible Women Wearing Beautiful Jewelry.” This was founder Brittany Cheyanne Turner’s initial vision for Cheyanne Symone five years ago when she launched the brand in July 2018. As an Indigenous woman (Haliwa-Saponi) and Environmental Scientist, Turner constantly searched for beaded earrings that were sustainable, elegant, and minimalist, designed with the professional woman in mind. “I couldn’t find what I wanted, so I took matters into my own hands–literally–and created Cheyanne Symone,” says Turner. “My initial vision still holds today and has grown to be inclusive of all ‘Relatives’ while holding women empowerment at the core.” Then, Turner launched Cheyanne Symone as an e-commerce business with just $1,500 from her savings account and a dream to become a household name in contemporary jewelry. “From the start, women empowerment, sustainability, and good customer service set Cheyanne Symone apart,” adds Turner.
The brand is headquartered in Ypsilanti, Michigan, with all jewelry handmade in the U.S. by Native American artisans. The company employs a handful of incredible relatives throughout Indian Country. With an all-women and non-binary team, including the majority of them–four out of five–identifying as Native Americans from tribes across North America, Turner strives to offer a nurturing, safe, and fun workplace for women and other minoritized gender identities at Cheyanne Symone.
According to Turner, Cheyanne Symone is a changemaker enterprise that challenges the industrial and societal standards entangled in Native American-style earrings and jewelry. The goal is to incorporate Native American bead embroidery jewelry in the mainstream American jewelry market. With the brand, Turner is dedicated to handcrafting the perfect everyday earrings. Cheyanne Symone prides itself on being the epitome of handcrafted wearable art meticulously designed and created by Indigenous artists. With a commitment to preserving cultural richness and artistic prowess, each creation embodies centuries of tradition and skill passed down through generations. Every piece from Cheyanne Symone is more than just an accessory; it’s a celebration of culture and individuality, destined to become cherished heirlooms that transcend trends and last a lifetime.
Though Cheyanne Symone has been in business for five years, the brand boasts a client list of 550, with a 33% returning customer base. This is attributed to the thoughtful customer service the brand offers. “We have nurtured a loving customer base by creating comfortable hand-crafted jewelry, using the highest quality materials, showcasing Indigenous art made by Indigenous people, and–most importantly–offering thoughtful, timely, and respectful customer service,” explains Turner. “I am most proud of our flawless 5-star rating from over 100 reviews at cheyannesymone.com.”
Sustainability is a cornerstone of their philosophy, deeply ingrained in every facet of their operation for the brand. Turner’s commitment to minimizing ecological impact is paramount as an environmental scientist. Made out of a blend of recycled materials, each earring showcases a durable design and reflects her dedication to sustainability: earring posts and backs are produced from recycled 925 sterling silver made in the USA, while the backing is cruelty-free ultrasuede, a comfortable, durable, and easy to clean fabric. Every order is packaged mindfully using eco-friendly materials, with all shipping materials recycled, recyclable, and reusable. Paper materials are biodegradable, and the drawstring jewelry storage bags are made of recycled cotton and can be repurposed. Cheyanne Symone embodies an ethos of environmental responsibility, ensuring that every aspect of the experience aligns with their planet-conscious values.
Cheyanne Symone impacts its surrounding communities in several ways. The brand empowers women through social awareness campaigns and storytelling. For example, their Head Lady Earrings celebrate Deb Haaland as the first ever Native American person appointed Secretary of Interior (the same department managing tribal relations), with the Two-Spirit Pride Earrings designed in collaboration with one of their beaders, Becca Lynn, to increase inclusivity for LGBTQ+ and Two-Spirit Indigenous peoples through traditional art and jewelry. Cheyanne Symone supports Native American women empowerment causes such as scholarship programs, social service organizations, and other companies that support Indigenous well-being. Cheyanne Symone contributes to these causes by donating earrings to fundraiser auctions. They also provide competitive wages for Native American beaders for their time and expertise, along with a flexible, remote, self-directed schedule in response to Indigenous artists being undervalued and under-compensated. “We are successful when everyone in the company feels sustained and respected,” says Turner.
Now, Cheyanne Symone is facing tremendous growth. Turner operated Cheyanne Symone out of her guest room while working full-time as a scientist and a mother since the beginning of the brand. The company has steadily grown and has now reached a new stage. Turner is building a reliable, dedicated team of artists and professionals to conduct day-to-day operations, design and launch social media campaigns, and manage inventory to free up her capacity as the founder and owner. “None of this would have been possible without the hard work and support from my good friend Kate Gregory, our Director of Data Analytics, and my family, especially my husband and mother-in-law,” says Turner. Last year, she hired Sarah Moncada as Director of Operations, with plans of hiring additional beaders to create more handcrafted jewelry and support the increased inventory needs.
Cheyanne Symone celebrated its success with a spring collection, a selection of earrings in new designs all about the beauty of nature. The collection featured abstract interpretations of floral and Native beadwork. The themes are abstract, clean, minimalist, and flowery in the color palettes of lavender, sage green, white, and rose gold.
See all the designs on Cheyanne Symone’s website and in our Spring 2024 Issue, Roots of Resilience.
