Meticulous design, social responsibility and equality are what drive Philadelphia-based jewelry design house Emily Chelsea Jewelry. The brand, which was founded eight years ago, specializes in custom engagement, wedding and commitment rings, as well as uniquely designed fine jewelry.
From their showroom and workshop in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this LGBTQ+ inclusive and affirming jeweler serves clients stateside and internationally with expert craftsmanship and ethical practices. We caught up with owner and founder Emily Phillippy (she/her) to learn more about how Emily Chelsea Jewelry works to affirm marriage equality and the ethical transparency world of fine jewelry.
EQUALLY WED: How do you show you are LGBTQ+ inclusive and affirming to your potential new clients?
Emily Chelsea Jewelry: This is ingrained in our DNA. We celebrate LGBTQ+ love all year around, we have removed all gendered language from our jewelry and removed all titles, other than visual descriptors, from our rings. So instead of engagement rings and wedding rings, we use titles such as rings with center stones, bands with stones, wide bands and textured bands. Your love deserves to be celebrated. If we aren’t doing that when you shop with us, we aren’t doing our job.
Tell us about how you put your ethical philosophies into practice as an inclusive and affirming fine jeweler.
We are known for breaking the mold in all ways of jewelry in three main ways. First, design. All of our pieces are considered in the 360. This means we do not just design jewelry from one perspective. We consider all views and all aspects of a piece of jewelry. We add tiny intricate details under a center stone that is often only appreciated by the wearer. We carefully consider the prongs—those little claws that hold the stone in its place—making sure it contributes to the design. We handpick every tiny stone until the color palette is perfect. Our goal is to make tiny wearable works of art and, ideally, something you’ve never seen before.
“You deserve to have your love celebrated, not judged.”
—Emily Chelsea Jewelry
Second, what I like to call “no BS ethics.” We are going to be completely transparent when it comes to our sourcing policies, even if it isn’t pretty. If we do not know where it came from, we won’t work with it, even if that means we lose the sale. We believe in positive impact and want to see a change in the industry. We do this by being an active member in the ethical jewelry world, contributing to conversation and initiatives that are at work to improve the conditions of the supply chain.
And lastly, a unique shopping experience unlike any other. Buying a ring with or for your partner is one of the most exciting times in your life so we believe this should be FUN. We aim to create an environment that is welcoming, casual and affirming. You shouldn’t have to feel timid about what you’re buying and you deserve to have your love celebrated, not judged.
What tips would you give Equally Wed readers for buying commitment jewelry?
When planning your budget, keep this in mind: Other than each other, there are only two things you are going to have forever after your wedding day: your photos and your rings. Make sure you budget appropriately for those. A lot of people forget to budget for rings, and they run out of room in their budget by the time they remember. But your rings are special tokens that you will have for the rest of your lives, so make sure to buy them early in your wedding planning process and budget appropriately.
Emily Chelsea Jewelry
2429 E Gordon St, Philadelphia, PA
+1 (267) 274-6513
sam@emilychelsea.com
emilychelsea.com
Emily Chelsea Jewelry is a member of the Equally Wed community of LGBTQ+ inclusive and affirming wedding pros who celebrate LGBTQ+ love and marriage. Every employee of Emily Chelsea Jewelry is Equally Wed Pro Certified LGBTQ+ Inclusive. Visit Emily Chelsea Jewelry’s storefront on our site.
This is a sponsored post paid for by Emily Chelsea Jewelry. To market your LGBTQ+ inclusive and affirming business to our audience of LGBTQ+ people planning their engagements, weddings and honeymoons, please reach out to us at advertising@equallywed.com.
Photos courtesy of Emily Chelsea Jewelry
