The Journey of a Million-Dollar Customized Jewelry Brand
Executive Summary
Revival Jewelry co-founders Scott Shin and Jacob Pazos explain how they developed a modern photo locket, tested designs with friends and customers, and chose a more accessible price range than fine jewelry. They describe polling their audience, handling personalized orders in-house and improving packaging for gift buyers. Notes cover selected passages from the opening roughly 49,700 characters of public auto-captions, checked against Shopify's official episode page and transcript, published September 15, 2020. The video was uploaded again on March 28, 2024. Later advertising detail and the close are not covered here. Names follow the official page. The million-dollar figure was a 2020 projection in the introduction, not a confirmed current result; prices and audience figures also describe that period.
Key Takeaways
Make the familiar product more wearable
The founders wanted a personalized piece with the sentiment of a locket but a more modern appearance. A small lens concept supplied the technical starting point, while jewelry design made it into something customers could wear.
Test the concept first
They launched a simple Halo design to gauge reaction. People were lukewarm on the design but loved the concept, so they regrouped and made four designs, including a light, low-metal octagon.
Design for an accessible price range
Pazos contrasted the long sales process for fine jewelry with a broader market for personalized gifts. They designed a range around roughly $75 to $250 at the time, adjusting materials and weight to fit different budgets.
Parties as research
They held parties where women handled the pieces. Many who never wore lockets said they loved the piece before knowing it held a photo, which convinced them to go to market.
Gifting changed the service
The founders say about half of sales were gifts. Customer requests led to nicer jewelry boxes and card inserts, showing that packaging and delivery matter alongside the item itself.
Crowdsource design
Their social media person runs polls on Instagram and sends options to an email list of about 8,000, asking which of three versions people like. They say asking customers is easier than guessing.
In-house production
Photo processing happens in-house under a patent-pending lens. They 3D print prototype molds, use outside casters for sterling silver and rose gold, and fulfill everything themselves because each piece is personalized.
The Conversation Breakdown
Make the familiar product more wearable
⏱ Untimed topicThe founders wanted a personalized piece with the sentiment of a locket but a more modern appearance. A small lens concept supplied the technical starting point, while jewelry design made it into something customers could wear.
Test the concept first
⏱ Untimed topicThey launched a simple Halo design to gauge reaction. People were lukewarm on the design but loved the concept, so they regrouped and made four designs, including a light, low-metal octagon.
Design for an accessible price range
⏱ Untimed topicPazos contrasted the long sales process for fine jewelry with a broader market for personalized gifts. They designed a range around roughly $75 to $250 at the time, adjusting materials and weight to fit different budgets.
Parties as research
⏱ Untimed topicThey held parties where women handled the pieces. Many who never wore lockets said they loved the piece before knowing it held a photo, which convinced them to go to market.
Gifting changed the service
⏱ Untimed topicThe founders say about half of sales were gifts. Customer requests led to nicer jewelry boxes and card inserts, showing that packaging and delivery matter alongside the item itself.
Crowdsource design
⏱ Untimed topicTheir social media person runs polls on Instagram and sends options to an email list of about 8,000, asking which of three versions people like. They say asking customers is easier than guessing.
In-house production
⏱ Untimed topicPhoto processing happens in-house under a patent-pending lens. They 3D print prototype molds, use outside casters for sterling silver and rose gold, and fulfill everything themselves because each piece is personalized.
Core Frameworks & Ideas
Validate concept and design separately
Early testers liked the photo concept more than the first design. The founders treated that as a reason to redesign the jewelry rather than abandon the idea.
Price-aware product design
Pazos designed pieces with different amounts of metal and different details so the range could reach several price points. The price goal shaped the product, not only the markup.
Customer feedback before production
Design renderings and polls let customers compare alternatives before the team made every version. Recurring requests informed later additions without requiring a large initial catalog.
Actionable Next Steps
- ✓Show an unfinished design to people before investing in it.
- ✓Poll your email list before choosing between design options.
- ✓Choose an intended price range, then test whether materials and design can fit it sustainably.
- ✓Ask gift buyers what packaging and delivery details they need.
Notable Quotes
“literally had parties at one time to just show them the product”
“let's create design and be cognizant of that when we're designing things”
“we we fulfill everything here”
The One Thing to Remember
Test whether customers like the design as well as the product idea before investing in a wider range.