From a hobby to Etsy to a full-blown website and lots of markets, Natalee of Turquoise Rising has grown her handcrafted business here in Fargo! Turquoise Rising is gorgeous jewelry filled with meaning and inspiration. Learn more about the maker behind the business with us!

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I grew up in a suburb of the Twin Cities and moved up to Fargo to attend NDSU. I graduated with a Bachelor’s in Advertising and worked in marketing and advertising for 10 years. After that, I left to pursue my jewelrymaking and freelance marketing businesses. I have two kids and an incredibly supportive husband. In our “free time,” we love to work on house projects, garden, and just enjoy quality family time!

Describe what type of products you make under Turquoise Rising.

I make handmade crystal jewelry! I make a variety of stretch and wrap bracelets, hoop, and drop earrings, as well as necklaces. I also love to put together gift boxes and mystery boxes! My latest offering at events has been a Build Your Own Necklace Bar where you can choose a chain, pendant, and/ or charms to create a one-of-akind piece that you love! All of my pieces are made using high-quality genuine gemstone crystals and hypoallergenic stainless steel. I absolutel

Tell us how you got started with your business.

It started with an obsession with crystals and wearing crystal jewelry and, eventually, I realized I could make my own! I’ve always been a creative person, but never found my “thing.” I started making my own crystal jewelry at night after my daughter went to bed as a creative outlet and quickly knew I wanted to do more with it. I started making jewelry for friends and family and a few months later launched my Etsy site. I spent a year selling my jewelry on Etsy before I launched my website and started doing some local markets. I’ve since moved away from Etsy and now have my jewelry available on my website as well as multiple markets and events in the Fargo area throughout the year.

Where does your business name come from?

Turquoise is my favorite stone as well as my birthstone. In astrology, you have a zodiac sign for all of the planets (not just your Sun sign) and you also have your Rising Sign. It is the zodiac sign that was ascending the horizon at the time of your birth and it signifies your outer personality, first impression, and often your physical appearance. So, Turquoise Rising represents the creative side of myself that I’m putting out into the world!

Where do you get your inspiration for what you create?

My inspiration comes from the crystals themselves as well as astrology. The crystals are so beautiful that I really try to just highlight their natural beauty with simple designs. I also draw a lot of inspiration from astrology. Each crystal has a unique energy that aligns with the energies of the planets and celestial bodies in our solar system. We can work with crystals during each astrological season, through the moon phases, and planetary transits. Each person has their own unique astrological chart, which we can use to select crystals that will align with their personality, emotional needs, or communication style, for example. I LOVE creating custom crystal selections for a person based on their own natal astrology!

What is your personal favorite item or piece you’ve created so far?

I really love making earrings. I’ve always been an earring person and I love how versatile they are! Earrings can be big or small, fancy or simple, you can dress them up or down, you can use them to express your personality, the possibilities are endless!

What is one of the things you’ve enjoyed the most about doing this handcrafted business?

I have really enjoyed doing markets and events. I love interacting with customers and getting to know other vendors. The energy of these events is what keeps me going and gets me inspired to create new things. Now that I’ve been doing these events for a while, I’ve started to recognize customers and build relationships with them, which is SO much fun! It truly warms my heart to see people come up to my booth wearing a piece they bought from me previously and excited to see what new things I have.

What is the most challenging thing?

The most challenging thing for me right now is time. I have two small kids, who are home with me a lot of the time, so finding time to not only create jewelry but also work on the business side of it can be a challenge. I also have another business doing freelance marketing so I’ve got my hands full, to say the least! I’ve been able to find ways to be productive when I need to be and relax and be with my kids when I need to be so it’s definitely been a learning experience, but I wouldn’t change it for anything!

What’s one of your favorite gemstones to either work with or wear?

I love all of them, but Turquoise is my favorite. I’ve loved it since I was a kid, before I knew anything about its properties or value. Unfortunately, I am not able to work with it very often and don’t typically carry a lot of Turquoise jewelry because it is becoming so rare and expensive. Of the crystals I do typically work with, my favorite has to be Aventurine! I almost always have some piece of Aventurine jewelry on me!

Where can people find your work?

Website | turquoise-rising.square.site
Facebook | /TurquoiseRising
Instagram | @turquoiserising