2 sisters take jewelry brand’s sparkly legacy into the future
PITTSBURGH — Sisters Alexandra Mayr-Gracik and Miriam Mayr remember well the early days of Sabika.
Their mom, Karin, founded the direct-toconsumer jewelry business at their kitchen table. Her hope was that its sparkling, artisan-crafted accessories could help empower women — including ones in her own family.
“I was still in high school and remember the jewelry pinned on foam boards and packing them in trash bags,” recalled Mayr, who’s now executive director of sales and marketing.
Her older sister succeeded their mom as CEO in 2018 and also is head designer. As the company celebrates its 20th anniversary, they’re working together to preserve their mother’s vision while adding their own to the Sabika story. That next chapter includes a new line called ALMI Jewelry, a nod to the sisters’ first names. It went on sale recently at sabikajewelry.com.
The goal behind this extension to the Sabika brand is to expand the company’s reach to a younger clientele and to remind women and girls of all ages that “It’s OK to be all me” — the motto behind the line.
“Something that we consistently hear is, ‘Oh, my mom loves Sabika,’ ” Mayr said. “We wanted to think about how we get daughters to see this not just as a brand for their moms but a brand they have a place in as well.”
From a design perspective, ALMI Jewelry goes beyond the crystal chokers and other sparkling Swarovski statement pieces that are synonymous with Sabika. The
debut collection includes a modern chain-link necklace with turquoise touches, sleek, versatile earrings and cuff rings with a bit of bling. Like other Sabika jewelry, they are handcrafted by European artisans.
“It’s really beautiful to see how excited people are about it,” Mayr-Gracik said.
All pieces in the ALMI collection are priced below $200 — about $130 less than top-priced pieces in core Sabika collections. The company will donate $5 from sales of each ALMI piece to one of three organizations: Girls Inc., Earth Day and Mental Health America.
“With ALMI, we wanted to invite younger professionals to make these almost starter investment pieces,” Mayr said. “We know they will last for a very long time.”
ALMI Jewelry is just the latest move the sisters have made to position Sabika for future growth. When the first wave of COVID19 shutdowns hit, Sabika’s network of over 1,000 consultants in 40-plus states quickly pivoted their in-person sales parties to
online platforms, including Zoom and Facebook Live.
“Our consultants really quickly realized how much you can expand your reach (online). You don’t have to be my next-door neighbor. I can Zoom with you three states away,” Mayr said.
One of their biggest motivations for helping Sabika build a path forward is their mom.
“Alex and I have become quite proficient in telling Karin’s story,” said Mayr. “For her to say, ‘Now it’s time for you to tell your story,’ that’s such a gift and an incredible thing for someone to open up that door.”
Her sister said that thinking about the next generation of women — including her 14-year-old daughter — also inspires her work.
“Being a teenager in today’s world is really, really hard. I see (my daughter) fostering her creativity and making her own jewelry at home,” Mayr-Gracik said. “What’s exciting to me is continuing to strengthen this vehicle that we have and to be able to use it to promote a positive message.”