AprilGoodmanStudio

My Story

Welcome! If you've followed my journey over the years, you'll notice this shop has a new focus.

For more than 30 years, I've worked in the jewelry business, including over 8 years on Etsy and nearly 30 years owning brick-and-mortar retail stores. During that time, I sold handcrafted seaglass sailboat jewelry online, while also selling imported fashion jewelry in my retail stores.

I recently retired from making and selling my sailboat jewelry and have turned my attention to creating digital guides.

My goal is simple: to share the sourcing secrets, business lessons, and creative discoveries that took me more than 30 years to learn. Whether you're searching for hidden seaglass beaches, planning a buying trip to NYC's Wholesale Fashion Jewelry District, improving your jewelry displays, or dreaming of starting your own jewelry business, I hope these guides save you from trial and error.

My journey began in 1995, on Maryland's beautiful Chesapeake Bay, where I owned an art gallery featuring handcrafted artwork by artists from the United States and Canada. I believed in supporting North American artists, makers, and small businesses, and I loved helping customers discover beautiful pieces with a story behind them.

Then came the recession of 2008.

As the economy changed, I realized I needed to adapt. That decision led me to NYC's Wholesale Fashion Jewelry District, where I spent years building relationships with wholesalers and making regular buying trips to New York City. Over the years, I purchased well over half a million dollars' worth of inventory, giving me firsthand knowledge of the vendors, products, pricing, merchandising, and buying strategies I now share in these guides. I learned how to source beautiful fashion jewelry, create eye-catching displays, build collections customers loved, and grow a profitable retail business while offering affordable jewelry people were excited to wear.

One day I took my Colorado-native husband, Geoff, seaglass hunting on Maryland's Chesapeake Bay for the very first time. Having never seen seaglass before, he was fascinated. After our trip, he secretly surprised me by making a tiny seaglass sailboat necklace from some of the pieces we had found together.

I wore it to my jewelry store, and customers immediately began asking if they could buy one. What started as a thoughtful gift soon grew into a business we never imagined.

After Geoff passed away, I continued creating those seaglass sailboat necklaces for the next ten years in his memory. Every necklace reminded me of where it all began...with a simple walk on the beach, a handful of seaglass, and a gift made with love.

After ten wonderful years, it felt like the right time to begin a new chapter.

Everything in this shop comes from real experience—not theory. Every guide is based on places I've personally explored, wholesalers I've purchased from, lessons I've learned, and both the successes and mistakes that have shaped my journey over three decades.

Whether you're looking for your first piece of seaglass, planning your first buying trip to NYC's Wholesale Fashion Jewelry District, creating better jewelry displays, or building a business of your own, I hope these guides give you the confidence to get started.

Thank you for visiting my shop and for being part of this next chapter!

With gratitude,

April Goodman