How Jessica Klein Turned a Passion Project Into Bondeye Jewelry

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Today, Bondeye is a fine jewelry line sold in Goop, Fred Segal, and Broken English. A few short years ago, it was Jessica Klein’s passion project on top of her full-time job. How did Klein turn her side hustle into a fully fledged business—and one that has wholesale support from Gwyneth Paltrow? Find out in our interview below.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

What was the catalyst for leaving your previous full-time job to start your jewelry brand? 

I went into sports because I had a huge interest in business and because my whole family played sports. It just became inherent with part of my personality. But while I was living in Australia, which is where the name Bondeye comes from, the stress-free but still driven atmosphere there allowed me to take a step back from the pressure and societal norms of what I've been going through.

I would go look for jewelry, and there was always something missing for me. I didn't feel like I was getting everything I needed out there in the market. Obviously, now the market is oversaturated. 

You initially started working on Bondeye in college. Then you relaunched in November 2017. How did the brand change in that time? 

When I initially launched Bondeye, which was three or four years ago, it was all gold plated. As a college student, I’d felt there was not an e-commerce platform that was in line with what I was looking for and what I thought the people around me were looking for. I wanted people to be able to access the fashion that was going on. 

That initial line helped me build Bondeye and understand what was needed that I didn't already know about the jewelry industry. Over time I was growing just as the demographic of Bondeye was growing. I was changing and the style had to evolve with it. So I relaunched November 2017 with all 14k gold. 

What challenges did you face making a mid-career pivot to launching your brand?

The biggest challenge was definitely adjusting from being a part of an NBA organization and working for a professional team that was run with an H.R. department and a marketing team. I went from such a structured and huge organization that follows so many regulations, to now wearing all of these hats on my own. The fact that I can't do everything is something I've had to learn and something I've had to relinquish control over, which is very hard for me. 

At the beginning of doing Bondeye full time, I would let everything get me everything that went wrong. If a piece didn't come in on the exact day was supposed to, I would get a little anxious. But I’ve learned how to grasp what is worth getting upset over and what is out of your control. 

As someone new to the jewelry business, how do you go about sourcing and manufacturing your jewelry?

I think probably in a different way than every designer being that my background is not geology and studying stones. However, I go into the stone shops weekly just to look at everything and see what I love and what inspires me. 

I produced overseas. The reason why I came down to that was the cost of the goods would end up being equal to labor here. So there's no margin there. 

I surrounded myself with good people including a representative who works and liaisons with the manufacturers. He helps me execute a vision, stay in the price point, and sources the materials and cut the stone appropriately. And I approve everything. There's a huge trust between me and him, and there's a huge trust with him and his relationships.

You sell Bondeye directly through your website, but you also have a few wholesale partnerships. How did those come about? How have they helped your business grow?

Initially when I launched Bondeye, I spent eight months establishing a brand identity through my website and on my Instagram before making the move into retail. I didn't create Bondeye just to sell jewelry: I did it because I feel an emotional connection through jewelry. So I wanted to get this message across through my platforms before going off into retail. 

My first retailer was Goop, which was pretty huge for Bondeye and actually was the catalyst to moving into Bondeye full-time because it changed the game for my business. So in response to your question, have they helped your business grow, 100 percent. My first partnership is one of my strongest and best partnerships and it came insanely organically. 

Gwyneth Paltrow ended up with one of Bondeye Wave bracelets that I sent her. Then she posted on Instagram. I reached out to her a few months after, pitching Bondeye for Goop and then ended up launching on Goop a month or so after that. Now we are in Goop stores, the permanent and the pop up locations. The business went from seven pieces to 16 pieces on the site. That has been one of the hugest game changers on the wholesale side for Bondeye. I actually ended up meeting with Gwyneth and pitched an exclusive design to her that we ended up launching exclusively for Goop.

It did establish some sort of credibility and stamp to the brand of quality and aesthetic. There are so many brands out there and people want to be able to connect with the brand. They don't always know what to buy from and they don't know if they should be buying or spending $800 online and need know that stamp of credibility from retailers that say, “These are amazing products. We stand by them and we love them.” And that's been huge for my business, I think.