ABOUT

 Being an active mother to upcoming NFL player (Alaric Jackson) of the Rams was exhausting and hard work. Dionne worked nonstop, helping her son fulfill his dream, of getting into the NFL. With this type of dedication, caused her to put her dream on hold of becoming a Goldsmith. Once Dionne’s son went off to college in 2016, she could go public with her business. Dionne’s jewelry business was born from ashes. Dionne had no prior training in fine jewelry making, her interest and business came from one piece of jewelry she saw in Chicago, 2003. Digging through a surplus box full of jewelry was where she discovered a piece of jewelry she had to have. The purchase of that goddess bracelet brought a lot of compliments from men and women, but mostly men, so when her bracelet broke, she sought immediately to get it fixed. This is when she discovered it would not be an easy task, finding a jeweler to fix her bracelet. While seeking jewelers that could fix her bracelet, several jewelers explain to Dionne that it was going to be difficult for her to find a jeweler that would even touch her bracelet, since her bracelet was delicate and easily melted and ruined. This idea is where Dionne’s interest in learning how to make fine jewelry started. When Dionne found Munro Craft Jewelry Supply in Berkley, Michigan, she started looking for a jewelry supply company. Dionne went and spoke to the owner and the owner explain what she was looking for. They didn’t sell, but she redirected Dionne to the Rio Grande jewelry supply. After purchasing everything she needed from Rio Grande, Dionne set it up in her living room where it sat for some years, fearful of working with a torch. Dionne looked at this every day until she got the courage to sit down and work on her design. Finally, that day has come for Dionne when she sat down, drew out her design on a piece of paper, which was a replica of the bracelet she purchased in 2003. She made that design so quick and easy. She thought she did something wrong, so she went seeking a teacher that would give her a private lesson and this person is when she found Gabriel Craig at the Smith’s Shop in Highland Park Michigan. As Dionne is pulling up to the Smith’s Shop, for a private lesson, her stomach is in knots. Gabriel greets her, and she explains that she’s nervous. He told her to calm down and take a breath. She showed him her jewelry, and he asked her you would like for me to show you how to make this type of jewelry. She said, no I made this. Gabriel said are you here for some reassurance? Dionne said yes, he said OK. Let me see you solder two pieces of gold together. As Dionne was soldering, a piece of flux kept falling over, so Dionne kept moving to pick it up with her left hand. Gabriel said “I started to stop you because I thought you were stuck with your left hand, then I realize you were picking up the flux” he says, I can’t teach hand and eye coordination either you have it, or you don’t. You have excellent eye and hand coordination. He says, let me show you something. He pulls out a box of the first item he ever soldered, which was different shapes of copper. Gabriel tells Dionne it took him two years before he could ever Solder gold, and for Dionne, to do it on her first try to design a piece and she’s never solder anything before. Is pretty impressive. Gabriel, gave Dionne, her money back for the private session, and told her she is A natural talent. At this time, two busloads full of investors from Chicago were entering the building. Dan Gilbert brought in these investors to invest in some projects in downtown Detroit. Investors think Gabriel is showing Dionne how to make a bracelet. Gabrielle told investors that she did it. Two of the investors wanted to buy Dionne’s bracelet for their girlfriends. Dionne explained to them, it was not for sale. One of the investors from Chase Bank in Chicago, gave Dionne, his card and told her when she got her business off the ground to give him a call. A well-known commercial jeweler in New York, is also interested in Dionne, making some designs for his company. Scotty Pippen wife (Lara’s Pippen) gave Dionne, some positive feedback on her jewelry on Instagram. This is when Dionne’s confidence in her jewelry making was born. Her skill has evolved. She’s even working on a Patient for a jewelry display for her goddess bracelets. Dionne’s next project is to learn how to cut diamonds.