Koreana Collective: A Queer-Owned Jewelry Company on a Mission of Sustainability
By Olivia Miller
Pittsburgh-based jewelry company Koreana Collective has been taking the city by storm since its creation in 2020 not only with unique, hand-crafted necklaces, bracelets, and earrings, but also with its mission that promotes sustainability and transcends gender boundaries.
The company was founded by Joan Song who began “rediscovering [their] old hobbies” during the pandemic. A self-proclaimed “very tactile person”, they were inspired to start selling custom chains on social media after finding a jewelry kit from their childhood. It soon became too “hard to keep up with orders” so they launched an official online shop in 2020.
Song, who has “always [been] interested in sustainable development”, set out to not only “provide a product that was not already on the market” but also incorporate originality and sustainability into everything they do.
Koreana Collective lives up to its tagline of “jewelry that looks good on you and the environment” by using biodegradable and recyclable packaging from EcoEnclose, using a thermal printer to print out shipping labels, and making a sizable donation to the Carbon Fund to offset the carbon emitted during the shipping process. “Having the least possible environmental impact” is a cause they hold of utmost importance and have “[implemented] it into the foundation of the business.”
They ensure originality by not using wholesale distributors to create their jewelry. They say that “[choosing] to make my own pieces” was the “only way to differentiate.” As the business grew, Song’s skills developed and Koreana Collective began to become known for their signature deconstructed pearl necklaces. It is important to note that all of the pearls the company incorporates into their beautiful pieces are sourced from one family-owned pearl farm with decades of experience. Buying directly from pearl farmers allows the company to “provide sustainable, ethically-sourced, ethically-produced jewelry.”
Along with being sustainable and unique, the pieces at Koreana Collective are also gender free, meaning those of all gender identities are welcome to don the company’s stunning pieces. As someone who identifies as nonbinary and gender queer themselves, Song was frustrated while jewelry shopping to see pieces sorted into menswear and womenswear over such trivial details like the thickness of a chain. They say, “accessories are so fluid.”
From featuring delicate pearls, beads and gems to watch faces, crosses and bows in their pieces, Song finds inspiration everywhere. Their pieces, along with the company’s moniker, are partially influenced by their Korean American heritage. They modernize Korean traditions with pieces like their rainbow rice cake choker, which was part of a Lunar New Year drop.
They also find inspiration in nature. At the very beginning, they would “look at different elements in nature and how they assemble themselves” on walks at Frick Park then “[make] pieces based off of that.”
They also created a line inspired by their favorite albums from artists like Frank Ocean, Sza, and FKA Twigs. For example, their earrings inspired by Frank Ocean’s song “Solo” feature cascading silver chains adorned with pearls and beads of varying shades of blue. They aimed to “capture [the] melancholy” conveyed by the song as well as “how the melodies intertwined together.”
For the future, Song puts an emphasis on education to sustain Koreana Collective. They hope to continue growing their design talents by obtaining a master’s degree of art in jewelry design. Simultaneously, they also want to grow the company to appeal to different audiences with different tastes. This will open an “entirely new range of designs and what is possible.”
To shop Koreana Collective’s selection of jewelry, you can shop their website here.
