By JULES LAVALLEE
Emily Galsky, born and raised in Lima, Peru, began her professional journey by studying Economics and Business with a focus on Entrepreneurship. Early in her career, she discovered a deep passion for creativity and fashion, which led her to establish her first company, Aquamarina, a luxury swimsuit brand. Starting with just 10 samples, her business quickly gained momentum after securing a significant order of 5,000 pieces from one of Peru’s largest department stores. This success propelled Aquamarina to international markets and earned the brand a prestigious feature in *Sports Illustrated*, with Irina Shayk modeling one of its signature designs.
After relocating to Miami and successfully selling Aquamarina, Emily embraced the challenge of starting a new adventure. This time, she turned her creative focus toward high-end jewelry, founding The White Gem. Determined to create unique, luxurious pieces that stood out in the competitive Miami market, Emily returned to studying the jewelry and diamond industry at the GIA in NY. Her designs target a clientele that “has it all,” pushing the boundaries of modern luxury with innovative, one-of-a-kind creations. Through The White Gem, Emily continues to channel her entrepreneurial spirit and passion for fashion into a thriving brand known for its exclusivity and artistic craftsmanship.
Have you always had the entrepreneurial spirit?
I think I always had an entrepreneur bone in me, ever since I was young I knew that I wanted to be my own boss and do amazing things. It all began when I studied Business and Economics in Lima Peru. Throughout my studies I was always thinking about business ideas and what I could do on my own after graduating. This is when I decided to start my first entrepreneur adventure and I launched a swimwear brand from the ground up. The name of this first business was “Aquamarina Swimwear” , the experience I had with my brand was very eye opening to me , and I realized how big my entrepreneur spirit was. Aquamarina was a huge success. I remember clearly the moment when we took only 10 samples of swimsuits to an important buyer and I never thought that we would leave that meeting with such an amazing first order of 5,000 pieces. After this we kept growing and ended up working with even bigger department stores around Peru , and also even added different products such as cover ups and exclusive Pima cotton pajamas. The journey became even crazier when the demand started to grow and we caught the attention of different people around the world , this essentially led us to exporting and even attending swim shows in Miami! Lastly, I knew we had succeeded with this brand when we landed a page on Sports Illustrated Magazine. At that point in my career I knew that my purpose in life was to be my best entrepreneur self .I was about to turn 30 and me and family had just moved to the US , I had sold Aquamarina to start a new life in this new country , but I knew I couldn’t stop myself from wanting to start another business. This is when The White Gem was born , I always loved fashion so starting a jewelry brand seemed like the perfect fit for me. I knew that before I could embark on this new adventure I had to get more knowledge about precious gems and diamonds so I decided to go back to school and learn more. I enrolled myself in the GIA in New York , and I learned so much about grading diamonds and how to classify the best quality pieces. Once I felt ready,I launched The White Gem in Miami and it’s been a beautiful experience ever since.
What are some of the challenges you have faced along the way?
Throughout this journey I definitely had to experience some ups and downs, but one of my biggest challenges was having to get the knowledge needed in the jewelry market. Having to go back to school while being a wife and a mom of three was quite challenging but also incredibly rewarding. It taught me the importance of having balance between family responsibility and professional commitment. This part of the journey was not easy for me , but after a lot of effort and dedication I was able to learn as much as I could about diamonds and the jewelry industry. I wanted to provide my customers the best experience and quality possible , so I definitely felt a responsibility towards my clients to know all about the diamond and color stone grading at the GIA in New York. My second challenge was learning how to break into the Miami jewelry market which I knew was quite saturated and not an easy thing to do , slowly and surely I’ve been gaining the trust of my clients and giving them the best customer service throughout all these years which has created loyalty and made my brand stand out from the rest.
Your high-end jewelry, The White Gem, has stood out from the competitive Miami Market. Take us through the collection
Standing out in the Miami Jewelry market was definitely not an easy thing to do but I can confidently say that we have achieved standing out from the rest because of how unique our pieces are. Our latest collection is called “Around the world with The White Gem” This stunning collection is a heartfelt tribute to the cities that have left an indelible mark on my journey. Each piece in this collection captures the vibrant colors, rich textures, and intricate techniques found in handmade jewelry from around the world , reflecting the unique culture of each city that has inspired me. This collection is more than just jewelry; it’s a celebration of the moments, memories, and places that have shaped who I am today and I wanted to share this experience through the pieces I created for my customers. In addition to that, something that truly makes this collection stand out is how different these pieces are compared to others , you can really see how each earring , bangle , necklace reflects the city where it was inspired from.
What can we find in your new collection?
Our new collection takes you through different countries around the world , in each stop the pieces adapt to the beauty of the respective city. For example, our first stop in this journey was the beautiful island of St.Barths , known for its stunning golden beaches. From this inspiration , every piece in the St.Barths Collection is made of yellow 18k gold diamonds and Italian gold chains , this reflects that gold shine St.Barths has. Our next stop takes you to Liverpool , this collection is all about blending black diamonds with the beauty of the rose gold. By doing this we were trying to make edgier and more modern pieces targeting clients that are more cosmopolitan. We wanted the pieces to reflect this strong personality, just like the city of Liverpool does. Essentially every single stop in this new collection has a piece for everyone , whether you like yellow gold diamonds , white gold , big hoops, colorful earrings you will be able to find it in one of the cities. We are going to give you a small sneak peek of our next stop, each destination is a surprise for our clients and they bring their own personality with it but what we can tell you for now is that our next city is where The White Gem was born full of sunshine and palm trees…. Stay tuned!
The holidays are fast-approaching. What makes The White Gem the perfect luxury gift?
The holidays are our favorite time of the year. We want to bring shine into each one of our customers’ celebrations. We do this by always launching our new collections near the holidays , our clients know how exclusive and unique our pieces are so they wait all year for our collection releases! We also always make sure to talk about our quality of products on social media platforms such as Instagram linked in and WhatsApp , always spreading awareness of the latest trends and the high quality of our craftsmanship which our customers really appreciate because we always get great feedback on how connected and up to date they feel with our brand. Last but not least , we always make sure to give exclusive discounts to our clients for things such as Black Friday sales , special occasions , anniversaries , holidays and birthdays. I have worked with local influencers and models in Miami, such as Fernanda Liz who is a well-known Brazilian model and one of our brand ambassadors. Fernanda attends the Cannes festival every year and was also the face of big brands like Dior , working with her was an amazing experience and she truly enlarged the spotlight on our brand. Another well known public figure that has worn our stunning pieces was Nikki Hilton, daughter of the owner of the Hilton hotels , she wore one of our 18k white gold and diamond earrings for a red carpet event in collaboration with Hueb Jewelry.
Who would you love to see wear your jewelry? Do you have any collaborations in the works?
As a Jewelry business owner , my ultimate dream has always been to have a well- known famous public figure wear one of our pieces. I think I’d say that the perfect artist I have in mind would be someone like Adele. Her modem personality and sophistication truly matches our target audience and of course she’s an amazing artist all around. As of right now we are working on a few collaborations with two high end brands to create great things together and expose our products more. We are also looking to work with more local influencers and we hope to expand our horizons and work with influencers abroad as well.
Website: https://thewhitegem.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewhitegem/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWhiteGembyEG/
Linked-in: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-white-gem
Pinterest: https://pin.it/1LCQYNWXi
