HOW GOR(J)EOUS!

GORJANA’S NEWEST COAST VILLAGE ROAD LOCATION IS ONLY THE MOST RECENT CHAPTER IN THE BRAND’S WINDING STORY

Gorjana and Jason Reidel mix business with pleasure as the couple behind the internationallyacclaimed gorjana jewelry line.

For Gorjana and Jason Reidel, the husband-and-wife team behind the internationally sought after jewelry line, gorjana, what began with “gorgeous, good quality gemstones that we were able to find for less than precious stones,” blossomed into an empire, aiming to “serve every kind of woman at every age.”

The brand is known for its timeless, delicate, accessible pieces, made to layer, to gift, and to cherish for yourself, as each piece has the potential to hold sentimental significance for both its creator and wearer. Since gorjana launched in 2004, collections have included birthstones, astrological signs, engraving, and motifs of Gorjana Reidel’s own Eastern European heritage.

While the jewelry line was conceptualized and reared in Southern California, gorjana’s namesake and founder was born in Serbia and moved to the United States at seven years old. “I grew up around creative women. My mom and grandmothers were all about DIY—sewing all my clothes and putting together beautiful things from scratch. So the urge to create something, to use my hands, came naturally. I started making jewelry for myself, and then friends for special occasions, and it just took off,” says Gorjana.

Business partnership may not be the key to a smooth marriage, but Gorjana and Jason have expertly woven professional pursuits into their relationship. Gorjana notes, “You think of going into business with your significant other and you’re like this could be a really bad idea. But with Jason I said, ‘Listen, I have no idea how to sell jewelry. Help me?’”

Jason chimes in, explaining the years of elbow grease involved in taking gorjana to the multi-million dollar level at which it sits today. “We started with virtually nothing. We would hit the road, get on planes, constantly call retailers and show the collections, just to be able to make an appearance in person. This was one of the most important things we could have done. Back then, we had a website, but it wasn’t like now; it wasn’t cool or necessary to have one. We would tell potential clients about the page and they’d tell us what mattered was getting in somewhere brick and mortar.”

To say gorjana has made a physical stamp on the nation as a brand would be wildly understating their success. The Montecito shop is the couple’s nineteenth storefront and, as we speak, they let me know that three other stores are slated to unveil in the next week or so, with their Austin location having its opening celebration the following day.

In addition to a shared love of their “business baby” Jason and Gorjana interweave spirituality and a tinge of superstition in their conduction of gorjana’s affairs, further imbuing the company with personal significance that is felt by their customers. “The nineteenth store was always daunting, because that’s our ‘special’ number. So for a few years there was this conversation around, ‘What is nineteen going to be? How are we going to decide?’ But we also believe in signs and the right timing for everything. So when we were driving up Coast Village on a trip to Santa Barbara and saw a vacant space, we knew we’d found it.”

The couple is based in Laguna Beach—where another gorjana location is nestled, as well as their artists’ studios, in the vibrant artist colony of Laguna Canyon—yet they feel a particular connection to Santa Barbara, as they do to each of the locales where they have set up shop. “Santa Barbara has always been where we go to get away, to spend quality time as a couple but especially as a family. It was our son’s first trip when he was only a few months old. And we’ve always batted around the idea of moving to Montecito and settling down up there. We’re happy in Laguna for now, but it’s always in the back of our minds.”

As the Reidels migrate through inspiring beach towns, from Malibu, to Laguna Beach, and, now, Montecito, they impart their mission statement on each unique city while they leave their mark. “We want to make jewelry that makes people happy. We want to curate stores that make people happy. Ultimately, from creating the piece, to its purchase, to its gifting, gorjana is all about making and giving memories, celebrating the biggest and littlest moments in life.” *