A Brisbane-based start-up jewellery brand is showing the importance of paying it forward.
Teacher-turned-entrepreneur Jane Salazar forged her brand Esah and Co out of personal struggle, creating jewellery that includes messages of self-care and affirmation rather than using flashy gimmicks.
The brand’s story – and its messaging – is deeply intertwined with Salazar’s own struggles with anxiety and isolation, exacerbated during COVID’s lockdowns.
She wanted to create jewellery that worked as a personal talisman for its wearer, helping to remind them they were not alone.
Salazar managed to find a sense of calm through affirmations – ‘’I am who I am, I am enough’’ and ‘’Focus on what you can control’’.
Those affirmations now have concrete form thanks to Esah and Co’s hand-drawn affirmation pendants, which Salazar hopes will give solace to their wearers.
Customers can get a pendant custom-engraved with a message that is special to them, or shop from a range of ready-made, water and sweat-proof necklaces such as a Zodiac Affirmation Necklace, $62.80, in silver or gold, or a Signature Affirmation Necklace, $63.20, which feature messages around Healing, Strength, Gratitude, Growth and Harmony, to name just a few.
Part of the brand’s DNA is to engage with its online community of fans and supporters, sending weekly ‘’love note’’ emails and affirmation posts alongside self-care check-ins on Instagram.
While shoppers are loving the jewellery, they are also appreciative of the philosophy behind the brand.
‘’I just wanted to say thank you,’’ one customer wrote.
‘’I had a really bad year in 2018, where I was in a really dark place.
‘’I got the strength affirmation necklace in 2019 and it was more than just a necklace – I feel like it really helped me affirm and it was a really big part of my journey.’’
‘’I am in love with my necklace,’’ another customer wrote.
‘’It’s a daily reminder of how far I’ve come and how I’m still growing.
‘I get so many compliments and have already shared the love with a friend.
‘’Such a beautiful gift.’’
Last year Esah and Co launched its Pay It Forward campaign, encouraging customers to anonymously gift Esah and Co jewellery to others to foster a nationwide ‘’wave of kindness’’, a quality that seems more important now than ever before.
Salazar herself walked the talk, leaving numerous packages on doorsteps across Brisbane and gifting a necklace to a woman collecting supermarket trolleys.
‘’Our goal isn’t merely to sell unique quality jewellery, but to enrich lives,’’ Salazar says.
‘’Each piece we create carries the potential to transform a mindset or brighten a day.’
‘’Our mission extends beyond commerce – it is about creating a movement where everyone feels seen, heard and supported.’’
Right now, shoppers can use the code SELFLOVE at checkout to receive 15% off any purchase.
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