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Local Threads is a Boston-based bimonthly podcast spotlighting the artists, designers, and third space curators stitching together a creative, conscious future, right in your backyard.
Welcome to this week's episode of Local Threads. I'm Molly, your host. And this week, I'm sitting down with Julian de la Garza, also known as Julian the second. If you're in the goth space, if you like to dress goth or you're alternative or you just love a really cool statement ring or a piece of jewelry, Julian the second is a brand that you probably already know. And if you don't, let me put you on.
Molly:Julian is from Providence, the once famed jewelry capital of the world. And we're gonna talk about his journey, everything he has going on, and a little more about him. So let's get into it. Welcome.
Julian:Thank you. I appreciate that.
Molly:Oh my god. We had a recording mishap, you guys. Sorry. You wouldn't know that if I didn't say that, though. Whoops.
Julian:Behind the scenes.
Molly:Yeah. Yeah. Straight up. How was your
Julian:morning? Oh, you know, super chill. Yeah. Yeah. My morning was actually really boring, but I I tried to condense it all and just get a quick workout in before I came over here.
Julian:So
Molly:Yeah.
Julian:Yeah, I woke up nice and late, like 10:00, I think.
Molly:I'd already fell down the stairs by then.
Julian:Solid. You probably get up a lot earlier than I do.
Molly:Yeah. 4AM. But then if I'm not recording, I'm taking a nap. Mhmm. Like, it's happening.
Molly:I I think I sleep in, like I think maybe, like, four hours at night and then maybe two hours during the day.
Julian:Okay. What time does your husband get up for work? Because I feel like, does that change your
Molly:No. Schedule at all? No. He's he's not up very early. He gets up at, like, seven.
Julian:Oh, okay. I mean, that seems like early to me.
Molly:Well, for me, I've I've lived a whole life by then, know? It's so weird. I never was a morning person.
Julian:Yeah.
Molly:I worked night shift or like even overnights like And a so it's weird that I can't sleep in now.
Julian:The curse of I I don't wanna say this like it's a bad thing, getting older
Molly:I
Julian:feel like it it becomes easier to Yeah. Wake up early. I'm kind of looking forward to that. Like, really am trying to dial it back.
Molly:Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's I don't know. It kind of seems fun and, like, lawless if you can stay up late and sleep in, you know? Because for me, I'm like, by the time it gets dark, I'm like, well, I guess I'll go to bed.
Julian:Yeah. No, I feel like, you know, once summer ended because I was I was really good about waking up early or earlier than I am now. And then once, like, summer ended and it became, like, September, I was just like, all right, sleeping in till noon some days. And, like, in the jewelry world, like, my caster works from seven a. M.
Julian:To four.
Molly:Oh,
Julian:And so, like, and they close on Fridays at noon. So if I wake up at noon on a Friday, like, I can't even pick up castings or anything like that. So, like, I really need to dial it back because the jewelry world runs on a completely different schedule than I do. Yeah.
Molly:This morning was fucking chaotic and Julian's already heard this story. You
Julian:got to tell it again, though.
Molly:You might wonder, what the hell is Molly doing? Well, Molly's up probably pretty early drinking coffee, lets her dogs out, locks herself out of the house, and then has to find a way to break back in the house. And that's what I was doing this morning. No shoes on. Okay.
Molly:That was crazy. Got over that hump. Then I have to go get ready for the podcast, and I get dressed. And then I'm like, alright. I'm making good time.
Molly:I'm gonna go drop off my keys for the old studio and literally fall down the stairs. Oh, god. So I think it was probably better when I told it the first time. So sorry, guys. It's not as funny now.
Molly:But I hope you're laughing.
Julian:That is an insane morning.
Molly:I know. I mean,
Julian:starting at four just to get to that point and then
Molly:Yeah. Like, literally, I'm just glad knock on wood. I don't have any. I'm just glad I didn't fall in the shower or something because that's, like, even worse.
Julian:Yeah. Yeah. That'd be pretty
Molly:It's very geriatric coded, you know. I'm like, I'm not ready for that.
Julian:How about falling and I can't get up?
Molly:Yeah. Exactly. So you're from Providence?
Julian:Yes. Born and raised? No. I was born in Schenectady, New York, actually.
Molly:Woah. Yeah. Is that what's that popular for from? Cheese?
Julian:No. I don't think so.
Molly:I'm thinking of like somewhere else.
Julian:It's just like Upstate. I think it's near like near ish Niagara Falls. Yeah. We drove because we did a road trip to Kentucky to pick up my stepdaughter this past summer And we drove, like, sort of through Schenectady, and it was like, there's nothing there. But it's it was nice, but like
Molly:That like, the town name triggered, like, a memory of, like, some old cheese commercial.
Julian:Oh, that's funny.
Molly:I don't know.
Julian:I mean, maybe. I don't I don't know anything
Molly:I'm probably thinking of something else.
Julian:Yeah.
Molly:I often do that. Why'd you guys move to Providence?
Julian:We actually moved from Schenectady to Providence when I was, like, two, and my parents were just looking to to get, like, work in a different area because there was just nothing for my parents. Because my dad's an opera singer, my mom's a master seamstress, so there was, like, really nothing in the area for them. And basically, my dad wanted to go to Boston University to get his master's so that he could start getting paid more and start teaching on a professional level. So he moved there for that. He went to BU while my parents lived with my grandmother in Providence.
Julian:And they just, you know, ground out their time there and we just stayed.
Molly:Yeah. Yeah. Can you sing?
Julian:Not on any professional level. I sound pretty good in the car, I sound good in the shower, that sort of thing. And people have told me I have like a decent voice, but like I know that I cannot sing Christmas carols to save my life. I don't know what it is about the cadence of them, but it just sounds so bad.
Molly:They're annoying to me, Yeah. So Okay.
Julian:I've always enjoyed them because my dad has sung them, and I've been to like a lot of churches because he sang for churches specifically. Yeah. And it sounds beautiful when he does it, but I just have like no ability to sing them. I think it's because there's not usually like like if it's a song that I'm listening to, I can sing to that. Yeah.
Julian:But if it's like essentially like karaoke, there's no way.
Molly:Yeah, karaoke, I need somebody to carry me. Yeah. You know, like I need to be in the background.
Julian:Ooze and the Which
Molly:I don't drink anymore. So karaoke is probably something that's too difficult for me now.
Julian:I've tried it a couple of times and both times I was like, no, this is terrible. Like I used to play rock band with my friend though, it's as close as
Molly:Yeah.
Julian:You know, I get.
Molly:Well, I don't know if I played rock band. I played Guitar Hero.
Julian:Okay. It's pretty similar
Molly:though. I felt that was like the coolest thing, right?
Julian:Yeah. And Dance Dance Revolution, I played so much in that
Molly:did? High Yeah. At the arcade?
Julian:Sometimes at the arcade, but my like giant goth boots would not like hit the like they were too wide for the steps. Yeah. So it was just like it wouldn't work super well.
Molly:I'm just not obviously not coordinated because I just fall.
Julian:They have bars for that.
Molly:The funny thing is is like I did cheer in high school. Mhmm. So I don't know.
Julian:I went to a lot of raves in high school. I was Same. It was more about that, like Same. Yeah. Yeah.
Julian:Actually, a lot of, like, rave music inspired the beginning of my work Yeah. My jewelry work in college. That's cool. I was just using like a lot of neon colors and acrylic actually, like neon acrylics in my pieces and I would like bend them to make like forms like necklaces and stuff like that.
Molly:Oh snap.
Julian:Yeah. But I mean, I don't really use any of that stuff now. But I do like incorporating a lot of those really vibrant colors in my gemstones.
Molly:I was actually thinking about it earlier. Was like, I need a what stone is that neon, poison yellow?
Julian:Oh, yeah. Luwag. Luwag? Yeah, it's like lithium aluminum garnet or something like that.
Molly:That's cool.
Julian:Yes. It's created in a lab specifically for like corrective lens work. I don't remember. I always think of it kind of like Sting from Lord of the Rings where it just like glows when orcs are near. But in this case, it's glowing whenever you're near radiations.
Molly:You were born in New York.
Julian:Mhmm. Born in New York.
Molly:Moved to Providence. Yep. Your dad's an opera singer. Your mom is a costumer. That must have been cool, like, having that kind of eclectic job Yeah.
Molly:From your parents.
Julian:Yeah. I think in some ways it probably encouraged me to do whatever I wanted as far as art. And when I first was in college and I was like, I want to be an actor, they're like, Okay. But like, you know, we support you. So, you know, they and then when I changed my major like seven different times, they were all for everything that I did.
Julian:But then when I went into jewelry they were like, Okay, this is
Molly:That makes sense.
Julian:You can make money with this. That's fine. Yeah.
Molly:Did you ever do something in college that was like more traditional or was it all arts?
Julian:If I could do it over again and art wasn't an option, I think I would probably go into like marine biology.
Molly:Oh yeah.
Julian:Or maybe like archaeology. Like those are things I've been fascinated.
Molly:Indiana Jones.
Julian:Yes, absolutely. Like Indiana Jones for sure. But marine biology was just so interesting to me. I just I think the ocean is terrifying.
Molly:Yeah. It's is like super
Julian:an outer space, too. Like, anything that's just mysterious.
Molly:I don't like to think about
Julian:It's so scary. I
Molly:don't like thinking about it.
Julian:It's like
Molly:We're just floating on a rock, Yeah. I hate that.
Julian:The idea of black holes is so scary, right? Yeah. Like, well, the way that science makes it seem is like we're just gonna suck up
Molly:In the movies. Yeah. At
Julian:any point in time, it could But, just you know, it's like, that'll happen in like a billion years or
Molly:I wonder if they got any good gemstones in those.
Julian:Oh,
Molly:yeah. You know what I mean? It's made out of a star Yeah. From a different galaxy.
Julian:Unobtainium. Yeah. Yes. Yeah.
Molly:Before you started jewelry, did it even click that, like, Providence used to be the jewelry capital of the world?
Julian:It's actually really funny that you asked that because people would talk about it all the time when I was growing up. I knew a ton of people in the jewelry industry, mostly in like fashion, like costume jewelry kind of stuff. So it never occurred to me that I would go into it. And I look back at like all these moments in my life, like in high school I did a report on the jewelry industry, not even like connecting. Like it was it wasn't until like I was 21 that I decided to get into jewelry.
Molly:That's crazy. So yeah. The universe is like, you need For to be a
Julian:real. Like, yeah.
Molly:So we're gonna keep telling you about it?
Julian:Yeah. There were just like so many people like that, like after I got into jewelry, were like, my like not aunt, but she's close enough that it feels like she's one of my aunts and like friends of my parents who supported their opera business and my mom's seamstress work, and they just happened to be in the jewelry industry too. And it was just so funny that there were all these connections that I was able to make when I was older that I had had the entire time.
Molly:Yeah, that's really cool. Did you figure out, you know, this that your style of jewelry making or I guess aesthetic was like Gothic?
Julian:So that wasn't until I was in grad school. I actually I think this is a really interesting part of my journey because when I got to grad school I was making a lot of like those acrylic pieces and very futuristic looking stuff. And my grandmother passed away when I was in grad school, and that triggered something in me to start making work about mourning and just how we, as human culture, have mourned lost loved ones for centuries. So I started making reliquaries. And my girlfriend at the time, who was now my wife, was like, you just need to go like darker with your work, just, you know, oxidize things and just like work with really Gothic kind of imagery.
Julian:So I started looking at that more. And the campus at UMass Dartmouth where I went was all brutalist architecture. So that started to influence a lot of my work too. So I was using like really dark textures and oxidized surfaces to create like really textured and dark surfaces. And a lot of my work ended up being like very brutalist and like huge and like chunky pieces with a lot of accented details later on.
Julian:So I think you've seen some of my pieces with like all the gemstones around them. Those pieces were so part of my process was like meditation and how I could use that to work through mourning. Yeah. So because I was not taking my grandmother's passing very well. Was, you know, devastated.
Julian:And I it just so such a weird time because I was just I was learning, I was adapting to my new style, but also mourning and figuring out how I could help other people while I was still doing that. Yeah. So I was just meditating a lot. I was doing a lot of yoga and just trying to figure out my own process
Molly:Yeah.
Julian:As I was doing it, which I think is a good way to look.
Molly:Yeah. It's really cool because the arts are healing.
Julian:Yeah.
Molly:And so I feel like you were still in the right place
Julian:I think so.
Molly:At the right time, which is super fascinating when you you think about how you ended up in jewelry. Yeah.
Julian:Yeah. No. It's very true. And that style just sort of carried after I got out of grad school. I just jumped into making those kinds of pieces all the time, but as more like one of a kind pieces and limited like releases of them.
Julian:And so now I don't make as many pieces like that, but I try to do it at least like a few times a year. I'll drop like a few pieces that are dedicated to that ideology of like morning and meditation and just taking time to be I don't want to say conscious, but just cognizant of what you're experiencing.
Molly:Yeah, I really like the brutalist I mean, I like all of them. Because I do I really like the brutalist architecture anyway. Yeah. Something about that.
Julian:The thing about brutalist architecture that I started to appreciate was it was intended for experiencing sunsets, oddly enough. Really? And yeah, so because a lot of it's just cement or concrete, the sun reflects off of it in a way that just turns the whole campus, like for UMass orange, in just a gorgeous way. So everything just lights up just before, like, twilight when sunset's happening, and it's just beautiful. And I just thought that that was really interesting because
Molly:Yeah, I didn't know that.
Julian:Yeah, a lot of brutalist architecture is all about being contemplative and taking moments to appreciate different small aspects of the architecture itself. So super annoying, but also kind of a nice, like, little offshoot of Brutal Dissert architecture. They would make all the steps, like, really wide or long.
Molly:Yeah, it is annoying.
Julian:And the idea for that is that you take your time when you're taking the steps, so that you are conscious every single step that you take. Is Never knew that. Really But it's kind of a nice concept.
Molly:I mean, maybe they should tell people.
Julian:Yeah. This is why.
Molly:Yeah. But I'm always I'm like one of those people that needs to know why.
Julian:Yeah. I liked the campus a lot. There were a lot of like alcoves and just like spaces where you could just be by yourself, like there'd just be like random couches in a corner that no one would ever be in, but you could be there and you could take time to yourself. Yeah, it's kind of weird to think that that would be what would help my work because it was so, like, gothic. But the two styles just blended really well, I think.
Molly:Yeah. I love them, obviously.
Julian:Appreciate that.
Molly:So you start making jewelry. You start making gothic jewelry. Are you out of college by then?
Julian:Yes. So it was like just before COVID happened, I was graduating, and I graduated like the year COVID was just like rampant. So I was at home and just making the work. I graduated and I just like started my I had my Etsy going the whole time. I didn't really have my own website yet.
Julian:And I just I was like, well, I think it's time to like break away from Etsy because they were talking about doing like all these fees and stuff like So I was like, I'll do a website. I'll keep the Etsy, but I'll focus on the website. So during that time I was like posting all the time on Instagram, like really trying to grow my social following. And I mean, I just went from there. And COVID actually really helped my business just because People
Molly:were at home.
Julian:People were at home shopping and yeah, I was able to start because of that.
Molly:I'm so fascinated. Like literally every single person I talked to is like blossomed during COVID.
Julian:Yeah.
Molly:I was taking antidepressants.
Julian:Yeah. I mean, that's not I mean, yeah, it's not unexpected. I feel like a lot of people were
Molly:It was right, Ken.
Julian:Coming through that.
Molly:It was a canon event in my life for sure. But, no, I love it because you took the time that was like, what else were we gonna do? Right? Yeah.
Julian:Yeah. Mean, it was like develop my art or I don't know what I would have done.
Molly:Yeah. You had to. And you were selling it too. So you, you know, had to live
Julian:off So of Exactly.
Molly:That's crazy. I feel like you've been doing this a million years.
Julian:Yeah. Since 2020, I think is when I started my Julien II brand.
Molly:Yeah. Yeah. Oh yeah, what was it called before?
Julian:Oh, oh my God, I went through so many iterations. Yeah. I was My first shop was Jade Silver Crafting, but I realized that No, I to not at all. But it was because my World of Warcraft character's name was Jade. So I was like, I want to bring this, you know, bring this in somehow.
Molly:Mine is called Ray.
Julian:Nice. Or
Molly:creep with like but it's K H R A e e e e p. My
Julian:so Jade was spelled j e I d because
Molly:Jade was taken.
Julian:Everyone was like, Jeed? And I was like, my god. Obviously, it's Jade, guys. Like, get it right. Yeah.
Julian:Don't you know how to read? So yeah, that was that was like the bane of my experience. But yeah. And after that it was rare metal, but it was M E T T L E instead of the word metal, like junior metal. Yeah, yeah.
Julian:I thought I was being funny. And I changed that. I did like dark blue studios for like a year in college. And then after I graduated I was like, all right, Julian My grandfather or great grandfather is Julian the first, and he's not alive anymore. So I became the second.
Julian:Yeah. So I just I was like, I really like it. It's it's an artist kind of name, so I I just thought I'd roll with it.
Molly:No, it's awesome. It fits so well with I appreciate your it.
Julian:Some days I'm like, I should just change it to something else because No, like it doesn't make
Molly:never. Never. Yeah. Don't ever change.
Julian:I mean, have the tattoo. So like, I feel like
Molly:Yeah, you can.
Julian:Kind Yeah. Of stuck with it, right?
Molly:Yeah. You formed that during COVID?
Julian:Yeah. Yeah.
Molly:Geez. It's such an epic name. I thought it was It's around really great.
Julian:I've just always wanted to be a household name in some capacity, and that's why I wanted to do theater because I thought I could be in movies and stuff. So when I gave that up, I was like, all right, Julian II, it's like, it's me, it's my brand, let me just lean into it as hard as I possibly can. Yeah. And, you know, some of my social medias I have like jewelry at the end of it, but on Instagram it was just Julian II because I was like, it's concise, it's me. Yeah, it's And a lot of the time people are like, who the hell is this guy?
Julian:And they're like, Oh, he makes jewelry? Like, Okay. But it doesn't matter to me. No. Like, as long as it's iconic at
Molly:the It is. It is. It really is. And obviously your work backs it up. I mean
Julian:I try. Thanks.
Molly:You know, you're not like Julian the second shit posting memes. You know what I mean?
Julian:Like I mean, some days when I I've I'm just like at a loss and like meme.
Molly:No. But I mean like Yeah. You don't have a meme account.
Julian:Yeah.
Molly:At what point did you start doing markets?
Julian:That was something I I dabbled in when I was in college. Mhmm. And they were just like so bad. Like, I I would just hardly make any money at all, so I just gave them up for a long time. Yeah.
Julian:And then when I got out of grad school, I was like, I'm still never doing markets. And I got into one of the ones in Salem. I don't even remember how I got in there, but because it's tough to get your way in there. It's very insular sometimes. So when I was finally able to get into one of the markets, my work was like, I think I must have had like at least 10,000 followers on Instagram, which like helped.
Julian:Yeah. Because it gives you like clout, you know? Yeah. And I think that helped me get my foot in the door, and then I just started doing like one or two a year, And I've sort of stuck with that. I think we did four this year so far.
Julian:I have one coming up on the fourth, this weekend.
Molly:Yes, we're at?
Julian:Yeah, it's at Mills 58. It's the Hollows Tide Market. So it's not Salem, suppose it's like Peabody, but it's close enough.
Molly:Yeah. Yeah. Same thing. Yeah. I like how you said the said it the way that I think it should be said and not Peabody.
Molly:Peabody. I hate that word. I've said that so many times on this podcast.
Julian:That's so funny.
Molly:Oh, doesn't it make you mad to have a say it like that?
Julian:Yeah. Because it's like and you don't need to say it like that.
Molly:Yeah. No. It's so stupid.
Julian:Yeah.
Molly:Give me a break. It's Peabody, freaks.
Julian:You're about to get a cease and desist from the city of Peabody. I know. Well.
Molly:They're the ones that have to
Julian:say it all the time. Yeah. I know.
Molly:Right? I feel bad for them. Yeah. Honestly. Sorry, you guys.
Molly:Sucks that your town has a stupid name.
Julian:Change your dumb name.
Molly:So I I don't remember where we first met.
Julian:I think it was at the Nocturne show?
Molly:Probably.
Julian:I believe it was Nocturne because you came up and you bought a piece
Molly:Oh, yeah, that sword necklace. Yes.
Julian:Yeah. And you introduced yourself and I was like, cool. And you said you were like working on a space where you were gonna have artists and you were trying to like, you know, just sort of network. And then I think you came to every other one of my shows in Salem, So Not bad. No, it was it was great.
Molly:Was kind of creepy.
Julian:You kept buying stuff and I was like, this is awesome.
Molly:I just it's so funny because like people be like, I've been seeing you a lot lately and just I'm like, well, sometimes I come out. Yeah. To shop, apparently.
Julian:I think it was good. Like, you you were putting yourself out there because you were new to the area. Right? For us, it was Nikki who got me into Salem. Like, she got us into Nocturne.
Molly:That's awesome.
Julian:Just like by happenstance, because she was buying stuff from them all the time. Yeah. And she was like, Oh yeah, my husband makes jewelry. They're like, Wait, what? She was like, Yeah, this is some of his stuff.
Julian:And they're like, yeah, he needs to have his work in here Yeah. Like right now. And it worked out really nicely because Yeah. I I hate putting myself, like, out there like that and being like, hey, like, look at my work. We should definitely have it here.
Julian:It's just awkward.
Molly:Well, I actually was gonna talk to you about this. I have someone I need you to get in contact with
Julian:Okay.
Molly:About your jewelry. So
Julian:Yeah. I'm actually looking to pick up more stockists. So that'd be great. Yeah. If that's what they're I
Molly:know somebody.
Julian:Yeah. Sweet.
Molly:And they looked at your work and they're like, yeah.
Julian:Awesome.
Molly:And we'll see. Okay.
Julian:You know
Molly:what mean? If you I don't know what you do your thing, but
Julian:Yeah. And I mean, I'm always looking for more stockists. I would love to just try to pick up like a bunch more around New England in the area. Right now we just have Nocturne and The Adventurers Supply in New York, which is such a cool shop though.
Molly:That sounds cool.
Julian:Yeah. So they do like medieval armor and
Molly:swords. Wait, what?
Julian:Yes. They make armor. They have like a beautiful set of
Molly:What's it called? Knights
Julian:The adventurer's supply. Okay. They make like leather gear and they make metal gear. So I mean, yeah, check them out. But they Yeah, me too.
Julian:So this place is so cool. One of the coolest parts about this place that I love is they have gift cards that are actual metal coins. Oh, nice. That are the value of whatever the gift card is.
Molly:I would lose that shit
Julian:so fast. Yeah, you're right. They'll do like a copper or bronze coin for like a certain dollar amount, same thing for sterling, and they have gold ones too. Nice. So like for like big like, gift cards.
Julian:So if you just like bring that, that's your gift card and it's worth something So, to yeah, just really fun because it's it feels very thematic. Yeah. Which I like.
Molly:And that's in New York City.
Julian:Brooklyn, yeah.
Molly:Brooklyn. So you have a market coming up this weekend in Salem, which will be after the fact, obviously, What on else? Do you do the December markets at all?
Julian:Yeah. We have one coming up in December. It's one of the Witch City Wix markets. I cannot remember what it's called off the top of my head, but
Molly:It's in the old hall? Yeah.
Julian:Town Hall. Yeah. I believe it might be on
Molly:the thirteenth. December? Yeah,
Julian:think so.
Molly:Yeah. Also, you guys don't sleep on going to Salem in the wintertime, it's really cool.
Julian:Yeah, that's the one of the best times Yeah. I think just because it gets really pretty when it's there's snow and they actually have events all year round. Yeah. Like for the Valentine's Day, they always do those like ice sculptures and stuff.
Molly:Oh yeah. You have those markets coming up. You go live on TikTok all the time.
Julian:Yep. Mondays and now we started doing Wednesdays and Fridays. Yeah. And that's been it's been cool. Nikki does a lot of the vintage jewelry.
Julian:Yeah. And I try to, like, make as many pieces as I can of my own to bring to the lives when I don't have them on the site or ship them off to my stockists.
Molly:Yeah. So you buy metal from somewhere, right? And then you have a concept.
Julian:Mhmm.
Molly:Is that when you send it to the caster?
Julian:You have
Molly:to make cast? That's a
Julian:good question. Usually what I'm doing is modeling in CAD and then I'll three d print it on my printer and I can directly cast from my prints with my caster. So they're like just a metal foundry that basically invests and then pours the metal for me, which makes my life so much easier. Yeah. And it allows me to like get a lot more done because they can be doing that while I'm working on new pieces, and I'll get those old pieces back and I'll polish them and finish them, and then I'll ship those out or, like, post them on my site.
Molly:Mhmm.
Julian:And in the meantime, they get me the next batch, it's just very cyclical like that.
Molly:Do you have to print individual, like, for casting? Or is it they just have that master?
Julian:That's actually another good question. So some pieces that I make, do individual prints for. Mhmm. Especially if they're something that I'm like, well, I only sell, like, you know, five of these maybe a year or something like that. So I won't mold it.
Julian:Yeah. And a mold will allow me to produce like a thousand of them. So that just doesn't make sense for that.
Molly:Yeah.
Julian:But I like to also do variations. So I'll take, I'll just like print a lot of variations of the same thing and that way I can do one of a kinds of those. But for the most part, if it's like a mainstay piece that I have on my site or I've been making for years, I'll get a mold of that made and my caster will just mold from that and they'll do like 10 at a time for me, for example.
Molly:Nice.
Julian:Yeah.
Molly:What about your stones?
Julian:So that's a great question too. I have a local gem dealer that I work with. They're in Uxbridge, actually, which is like half an hour away from me. So I like to go to their store in person and I'll just shop there. But you have to be in the industry in order to get in.
Julian:But they're a small family run operation, they've been doing it for years. And they have like $14,000 aquamarines, for example. Like, let me hold one, was just like, this is like my rent for like, you know, six months or whatever, like, this is insane. They have like Wow. You know, like garnets that only cost like $10 or something like that.
Julian:So like the range that they have is crazy, but they're Some of their stones are just so gorgeous to look at. It's fun.
Molly:That's so cool. You know, you don't ever think about what's in your backyard. Like somebody in that town may not even know that exists.
Julian:Yeah. Mean, I think we talked about it. They've been doing it for so long and I think we talked about The Goonies earlier. Yeah. And like that is what it feels like.
Julian:Like that that scene where they have all the gemstones in their hand, like that's what that place feels like to me. When I was a kid, seeing the Goonies movie was like pivotal to me as an artist I feel like, because I always reference that one moment at the end where they have like the handful of all those like plastic gemstones. But as a kid, seeing that, was like, oh my god, that's that's so cool. You know, like hundreds So of thousands of dollars worth of I was like, want that. I want to do that.
Julian:Whatever that is that gets me to be able to have a handful of gemstones, that's what I want. So
Molly:How does Cyndi Lauper come into it?
Julian:So love that Goonies song that she did.
Molly:Oh, yeah.
Julian:Yeah. But we actually saw her in concert for her her going away tour, whatever she's doing. She was doing a tour and we were in Ohio and we got to see her perform live, which was really cool.
Molly:Do you have any advice for a young come up jeweler?
Julian:Oh, that's I'm sure I have so much to say. So I have a very different upbringing as a jeweler because I went to school and then I went to the industry. So I I didn't get to talk about this yet, but I I worked at Tiffany's for a year and a half. You did? Yeah.
Julian:Setting diamonds, and that was grueling and soul sucking. Can I say that on camera? Yeah. Okay. So yeah, it was it was just brutal, and like my hands would like hurt all the time, and but I got very fast at
Molly:cutting Setting
Julian:up jewelry, setting stones. Yeah. It made me very quick. So when I got to grad school
Molly:So they're just, like, Yeah. Pumping Is there a factory around here?
Julian:Yeah. In Cumberland. Yeah. Cumberland, Rhode Island.
Molly:Oh, that makes sense because it's Rhode Island's history.
Julian:Yeah. They they have a factory there. They have one in like New York and they have the store in New York, but they have a factory in New York too.
Molly:People are still buying that stuff?
Julian:Yeah. People still buy it. Some of their stuff is like crazy expensive too, like
Molly:I mean, just one stupid ring that silver is really expensive. Yeah. I saw a cuff, like a silver cuff, and it was like $15. I'm like, okay. Never mind.
Julian:They make a paper clip. Last I checked, it cost a $100 or a $120
Molly:Can imagine?
Julian:For a sterling silver paper clip.
Molly:I'm not gonna find that paper clip ever. Yeah. As soon as I get it, it's gone.
Julian:Yeah.
Molly:You might as well just burn a $100.
Julian:Yeah. I know. I mean, the only thing I can think of is like maybe a a gift for a CEO or something like that. Like but when were they are they using paperclips?
Molly:Nobody's using that shit. Nobody is using that. Maybe as a chain on a necklace, something Yeah.
Julian:It just says like Tiffany and Co. That's all they need.
Molly:Oh, my gosh.
Julian:That's what I want.
Molly:So you were setting stones. Was it did it feel like just nonstop?
Julian:Yeah. Yeah. They everything was timed.
Molly:I didn't wanna say a sweatshop, but timed as efficient, lean manufacturing.
Julian:They had engineers, like, constantly checking our times and, like, making sure we could be as efficient as possible. They had cameras everywhere, which made sense because, like, you're handling gold and
Molly:Oh, yeah. It's not even something I would think about because I've worked in a lot of different manufacturing facilities. And, yeah, I mean, when I for me, it was like cameras around, like like, safety. But, yeah.
Julian:This felt very Orwellian.
Molly:Was like
Julian:Yeah. 1984, like, every like, you were just a number. Yeah. You clocked in, you clocked out. But, like, anytime you clocked into a job, you had to like scan your card and you were just like the number blah blah blah
Molly:and Well, happens. Yeah. That, to be honest, is a very good manufacturing process. Mhmm. So I can't knock off of that.
Julian:Oh, I'm sure it is. But it it didn't feel good.
Molly:No. You know?
Julian:No. So
Molly:It doesn't because it's like, okay, who fucked this up? Yeah. Julian?
Julian:Oh my god, dude. I smashed so many diamonds.
Molly:Call them in.
Julian:Sorry, Tiffany's. Like, they have insurance, they're fine.
Molly:That's true.
Julian:But yeah, I mean I wasn't doing it on purpose. I just was learning, you know.
Molly:Yeah. My gosh. They didn't give you like a shitty one to try? No.
Julian:They start you off like right away with like nice diamonds. Like all their diamonds are just nice quality. So Yeah. Yeah, they must have like the pick of all of them first because every single one of their diamonds was just super nice. And I had hated diamonds until I started working for them, and I was like, oh, this is why people care about them because they were gorgeous.
Molly:I don't even know why. Like, I can't I don't give a shit about a diamond. And the thing is is like, are they even valuable? You know what I mean? Or we just place you know what I mean?
Julian:There was a heavy marketing campaign Yeah. By one company that tried to, like, push diamonds to be, like, the most sought after stone. Yeah. And, like, yes, they're hard, but really they're, like, pretty common.
Molly:Yeah.
Julian:So, I mean, they're not really worth anything more than what they've inflated the value for
Molly:Yeah. Yeah. What what would you say that should be?
Julian:Like the most valuable kind of stone? I mean, there's that's a good question. Guess, like, a lot of the stones that are harder to find, like, personally, I find that stones like Tanzanite are more interesting. Mhmm. Alexandrite, stuff that that does something, it color changes, it has more like interesting shades and hues, whereas diamonds are just kind of like standard.
Julian:Because they're sought after for their standard, I find that that's really boring. Yeah. I think that stones that are harder to find, like, again, Tanzanite, for example, you can't get any new Tanzanite because it's all been mined out. So, like, that's just gonna go up in value. And eventually they will be more valuable than diamonds.
Julian:So, invest in Tanzanite.
Molly:Yeah. Trade in your crypto.
Julian:Yeah. Trade I in your crypto for mean, gemstones are interesting because it's both gemstones and crystals, they only go up in value. They've never gone down in value. So like, you know, the giant quartz crystal towers, those are just going to keep going up. I bought one for like $100 It's worth like $500 now and it's been like, you know, ten years or something like that.
Molly:Dang. Yeah,
Julian:they just keep going up. So that's where you want to invest your money. All the witches investing in crystals, they're doing something right.
Molly:No kidding. I need to do that and just ensure them are like, get them all around the house.
Julian:Yeah, just like the giant crystal towers and stuff.
Molly:Don't touch that.
Julian:That's my retirement. Yeah. Stocks. Yeah. Yeah.
Julian:So I did the Tiffany's thing for about a year and a half. I worked there and then I moved to working for as a model maker. I was still working on Tiffany's stuff, but I also worked on David Yurman's stuff at another company in And Rhode so I was doing like model making for them, so like cleaning up all their masters.
Molly:Like CAD and stuff? No,
Julian:I was so they would print them and cast them and I would make them look perfect that they could be molded.
Molly:So that's a good pathway because you were able to fuck shit up on someone else's dime. Yeah. You know what I mean? Yeah. First.
Julian:Yeah. Yeah, definitely. I didn't have to like learn the hard way
Molly:Yeah.
Julian:On my own stuff. Yeah. I suppose that's a good way to look at it. But yeah, so I had all that experience in the industry. I got really fast, I got precise, and then I went to grad school and I took all that I learned I was just like fast in grad school.
Julian:I made so much work when I was there. Like for every one piece that my fellow makers would make, I'd make like 10. So not that like number is important, but I was able to get it I was able to iterate through all my ideas really fast. Yeah. So we diatribe from what you asked me originally, which was what advice I have.
Julian:So I was going to say working in the industry is great because it gets you those skills that you need to be good and fast. And again, you don't have to spend the money and time on your own stuff messing up.
Molly:Can could you imagine?
Julian:And also you get steady pay, which is great as a jeweler, because as an artist it can be really tough, especially if you're just starting out. So if you have you're getting experience and you're getting paid well, I mean, that's awesome. Yeah. And I went to college for jewelry, which I would encourage people to do if you can find a program for it. A lot of people are like self taught now and there's like a lot of influencers who try to like teach people.
Julian:I feel like the scope of their skills is not going to be as encompassing as like a college program will be. Or if they're in the industry, that's only going to get you like a certain set of skills, too, because usually they just want you to do one thing. But if you can do both, that'll get you like a really well rounded education in jewelry and then you can just start going from there.
Molly:Yeah, and you can also just develop yourself as an artist
Julian:Yeah, more in that was the nice thing about being in an art program for jewelry was that they were pushing me to go high concept, And I also had the skill set to do everything like really meticulously and to a high degree of detail. I think that's just like, like for me that would be what I would recommend everyone. But I have taught a lot of people from the ground up, you know, intro level jewelry classes and things like that. And when you're doing it at a level that's not in college, you just sort of have to allow for imperfections and you have to encourage people to just learn as they go. Because a lot of the people I'm teaching are adults who are either retired or sometimes they'd be people who are younger, but they're professionals, like they're doing like a job at a science center or like they're they work in a factory that makes medical supplies and stuff like that.
Julian:So they don't have like any art background at all, but they need an outlet. Yeah. So I would be there to encourage them.
Molly:That's at the bench in Rhode Island?
Julian:Yep. Yeah.
Molly:Do you do anywhere else?
Julian:Not anymore.
Molly:Do you still do those classes?
Julian:Yes, I teach wax carving workshops and full length like six week classes at the bench.
Molly:Do you have any coming up?
Julian:Yes, in November. I should have another, I believe it's just like a two day workshop. So like, I think it'll be on like a Tuesday on each of the two weeks where we carve one day and we finish a piece and then I bring it to the caster and then we have it for finishing on the next Tuesday. So you come out of the class very quickly with a piece right away.
Molly:Like a ring or?
Julian:Yeah, usually it's a ring. Yeah. I do a six week where we learn how to carve a ring in a bunch of different ways. So we do like a stone setting, we do like a regular ring without a band that's more like a signet ring. And then I let them do just like whatever they want.
Julian:And then I have a two point zero class where it's like focusing on pendant carving, so you're doing more three-dimensional carving. And then everyone takes their piece and we get a mold made and we all get castings made for every other person in the class. So we all trade at the end and everyone gets like eight different unique pieces.
Molly:Oh, everybody gets one? Yeah. Okay. Or wait.
Julian:Everybody makes their own Yeah. And then they all trade each other.
Molly:Oh, okay. Yeah. I was like, what if you really like your piece?
Julian:Oh, you still get it.
Molly:I was sort of about to be like, oh, no.
Julian:Yeah.
Molly:And then, like, that would suck because, like, if you just everybody switched and then you Then didn't like
Julian:you never get your own thing. No, yeah. Don't like this. It'd be nice if I could get a copy of everything, yeah.
Molly:Yeah, no, that's awesome.
Julian:It was a fun class. We did it last year, I think, or something like that, and it was really successful. I had some students who took the the wax one class, and they made all these extra pieces in their spare time too, so they ended up having like 40 pieces by the end of the class, which is insane. Dang. Right?
Molly:Like,
Julian:they were just working as hard as possible to make as much possible.
Molly:Are these like at night?
Julian:Yep. Yeah. Six to nine at night at the bench RI.
Molly:I might need to do that. Have a question. It's fun. Is it during the winter?
Julian:Yeah.
Molly:Because winter sucks.
Julian:So I need something Yeah. To it's usually it's wicked chill. We just like come, we carve. And there's always like, because it's a studio space with lots of like other studios on top of it, sort of like the mill building you were in before. And there's a DJ just above us and they'll just like blast beats like all night while we're carving.
Julian:It's very chill. That's cool. Yeah.
Molly:Do you mentor people in the business? As I noticed you do you know a lot.
Julian:So I do occasional mentoring. I do like private lessons and stuff like that. Usually that's like a lot of it's consulting. Yeah. They just ask me like what the process should be for stuff.
Julian:It's not actually like a lot of making.
Molly:Yeah. Or like back end crap. Yeah. Because I feel like you guys do a lot of cool stuff. You have your socials down.
Molly:You got lives down. You got invoicing down. You got all this stuff down. That's why, to me, I was like, you must have been doing this, like, on your own for much more than, like, COVID because Yeah.
Julian:Yeah. Well, I had all those businesses before, but I was I was in college at the same time. So I was just, like, saw piece here and there. Yeah. I didn't have time to make it, like, a full time thing.
Julian:Yeah. But now, you know, it is. And yeah, I had to learn all that stuff on the way. But a lot of artists don't really realize or don't invest themselves in social media as much as they should, And I feel a lot of the time my conversations with other jewelers and artists are just like, Oh, it's like too much work. And I'm like, Dude, you got to do it though.
Julian:Like, it's a free platform where you can just post all your stuff. Like, it makes no sense not to be using
Molly:social Yeah. People love watching, you know, like transformation videos and process videos because that's like my brain rot. I love I
Julian:don't do any of that posting, though. I don't I don't post any of my how it's made stuff.
Molly:Even still, like, you're just what you're working on. Yeah. Still good enough.
Julian:I usually show the beginning and the end. Yeah. And the only reason I don't post the making of is because so many other people are already doing it. Yeah. And they're doing it well.
Julian:Yeah. So I don't feel like I need to also be doing that same thing. Yeah. But I completely agree with you. Like it's it's something really fun to watch because I like watching other people's processes and then I judge hearts, you know.
Molly:Yeah. See, that's why I love it because I don't know shit about it. Yeah. So but other stuff I'm like, that's actually not true.
Julian:Yeah. I'm like, when I see a certain tool being used, I'm like so triggered sometimes. I'm just like, oh no, why are you using that? That rocker is not meant to be, you know? It's just like nuanced jewelry nerd stuff and yeah, personally I'm just like
Molly:So you don't have to go to like gym shows and stuff?
Julian:No. I do occasionally, I like to go sometimes, but a lot of the time they don't have they have like one of a kind stones, which is great if you're making like a unique piece. But usually I'm trying to make the same piece a bunch of times for production, so I need to have stones specially cut or I'll get a specific calibrated stone specifically because it's the same exact design. And people want to have it look exactly how it looks in the picture, so I need to make it look like that.
Molly:So you design it all in Rhode Island and then you also manufacture you have all your suppliers are in Rhode Island or you got it
Julian:Pretty much. Yeah. So my casters are all in Rhode Island. There's a couple of them and they'll they do all the metal pouring for me. And then the gemstone dealer, Uxbridge, close to Rhode Island, it's Massachusetts.
Molly:Yeah. That's awesome.
Julian:Yeah. I try to keep it as local as I can.
Molly:Yeah. Because you got to go get it. Yeah. Or pay shipping,
Julian:which sucks. Yeah, definitely. And I mean, I do use one main company for like a lot of my raw, like sheet and wire and stuff like that. But for the most part, because I'm doing a lot of cast work, it's all local. And I really like trying to keep the money within the local economies
Molly:Especially the because you have, like, decades and generations of experience with Did jewelers in that you have any trouble, like, finding your supply chain or was that pretty easy?
Julian:Because I went to school for it, they already had like connections with a lot of the casters and gem dealers and stuff like that. So it was actually pretty easy.
Molly:That's good.
Julian:Yeah, I think one of my teachers referred me to my gem dealer and one of my teachers for casting gave us my caster. Then dealer.
Molly:That sounds so like mafia guy.
Julian:I know. Know. It's got
Molly:to go to my gem dealer.
Julian:Yeah. I'm always like, yeah, I got a guy for that. Like whatever that is. Yeah.
Molly:That's so cool though.
Julian:Yeah. It's been handy just having like a local community.
Molly:Yeah.
Julian:And like the bench has always been something I've been involved in. My friend Patrick, runs it, he's been doing it for like over ten years. And I was in his first space with him renting a bench. And so I've known him forever.
Molly:That's so cool.
Julian:Yeah. So we've we've like I've helped him grow and he's helped me grow and it's just been really nice to to have that connection.
Molly:Yeah, know. That's crazy. I want to go see how something's poured.
Julian:Oh, metal pours? Yeah. You can likely you can get that to happen. They usually start at like six a. M.
Julian:So you're already up.
Molly:Are they like big places?
Julian:Mm-mm. Harrison's is very small. They have like maybe like 10 people running in their operation. It's a small family run thing. That's my main caster in Johnston.
Julian:And they I believe that they do tours. Usually it's for classes and stuff like that, but they do tours for private artists and stuff.
Molly:I just love stuff like that. Yeah. Anything that's got a process
Julian:Mhmm.
Molly:And that is art related.
Julian:It's a cool process too.
Molly:I love it. Yeah. I recently went to a fabric mill. That's wild. Yeah.
Molly:I I don't know what I was expecting, but it's crazy looking.
Julian:I've only seen, like, the, like, the old, like, looms.
Molly:Yeah. It was kinda like I don't know. It was just shit everywhere. You know, you have this the idea in your mind. I don't know what I thought, but it was not that.
Molly:Mhmm. These, like, machines with all these little legs and, like, strings and shits. I'm like, that's why. Was.
Julian:Yeah.
Molly:Just right down the road. So the bench, look for those classes, look for the markets in Salem. Yep. Do you do anything outside of Salem then market wise?
Julian:Not really. Because our our best audience has been in Salem. We used to do like, know, Providence Fleas, stuff like that, but the the audience there is just like it wasn't making me money.
Molly:Oh, yeah. The Oddities Expo.
Julian:Oh, did do the Oddities Expo. That was in Rhode Island, and that was really good. It was a lot of fun. Yeah, some of the
Molly:You spent too much money there. I went to both like an idiot. Well, because I have friends in Providence and I live in Massachusetts, so it's like I went to You
Julian:had different artists for both of them? Yeah. I mean, some of the same ones I think travel,
Molly:but yeah. Some of the
Julian:Did you see the giant giraffe head?
Molly:Yeah. Who's buying that stuff?
Julian:Someone did. They were walking off with it like crazy.
Molly:Whenever something says like ethically sourced, what the hell does that mean? Yeah. I don't know. I don't wanna know.
Julian:You died in my arms gently.
Molly:Yeah. Yeah. Is there anything you want from the community? You guys just come see you at the market in Salem, check out your website, which I'll link.
Julian:Follow me on Instagram.
Molly:Instagram, TikTok.
Julian:Yeah. It's Julian the second on Instagram, Julian the second Jewelry on TikTok. And I mean, I believe in omnipresence, so I'm on pretty much every social media.
Molly:I hope you enjoyed this week's episode. Check the show notes on where to find Julian. And if you're a stalkist, check out his work. Maybe you wanna carry it in the store. Until next time, happy Halloween.
Molly:Bye.