How Jennifer Meyer Started Hollywood's Most Coveted Jewelry Brand

Welcome to Second Life, a podcast spotlighting successful women who've made major career changes—and fearlessly mastered the pivot. Hosted by Hillary Kerr, co-founder and chief content officer at Who What Wear, each episode will give you a direct line to women who are game changers in their fields. Subscribe to Second Life on iTunes, and stay tuned. We'll be releasing new episodes on Mondays.

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As far as jewelry brands go, celebrities are very loyal. Without a doubt, one of the brands they've worn most often (for years, at that) is Jennifer Meyer. Meyer founded her eponymous jewelry line over a decade ago, and according to her e-commerce site, it's "designed to become an extension of the woman wearing it - a symbol of luck, celebration & love—a way for every woman to reflect on the important milestones in her life." Meyer is the founder, designer, and CEO of the Los Angeles–based company that's beloved by Meghan Markle, Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Alba, Hailey Bieber, and so many more stylish celebrities.

But starting a wildly popular fine jewelry brand wasn't always Meyer's plan. She studied child and family psychology in college, but in need of a job quickly after graduation, Meyer was in the right place at the right time and landed the job of West Coast fitness and beauty editor for Glamour. Next came a job in celebrity dressing PR at Giorgio Armani before moving on to Ralph Lauren. It was at Ralph Lauren that Meyer realized her dream of designing jewelry. With $7500 to her name, she taught herself the craft of jewelry making and her dream of Barneys picking up the line was realized (it was her first big order). Cut to 2019 and Jennifer Meyer is a household name, with her pieces being sold by a bevy of major retailers (including Net-a-Porter, Shopbop, and, of course, Barneys). 

Head to iTunes to subscribe to Second Life and listen to this episode to hear all about Meyer's inspiring career path. Scroll below to shop some of Meyer's beautiful pieces, perfect for everyday wear. 

Next, the woman behind L.A.'s LEKfit workout craze.

Allyson Payer
Senior Editor

Allyson is a senior editor for Who What Wear. She joined the company in 2014 as co-founder Katherine Power's executive assistant and over the years has written hundreds of stories for Who What Wear. Prior to her career in fashion, Allyson worked in the entertainment industry at companies such as Sony Pictures Television. Allyson is now based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She holds a BFA in theater. Her path to fashion may not have been linear, but based on the number of fashion magazines she collected as a child and young adult, it was meant to be.