Natalie Mackey spent a decade plus in the beauty industry, and the founder of Terramore says those years prepared her for the challenge of introducing her first fine jewelry brand.
Terramore‘s hero necklace, Aegis, is the perfect example of how Mackey is taking what she’s learned from Winky Lux—the makeup brand she cofounded, which is now sold in retailers including Target—and putting it into practice.
Aegis is a 1 ct. lab-grown diamond wrapped in titanium on a 14k gold chain. Simple, right? Ah, this is where the storytelling muscle from Winky Lux kicks in. The Greek goddess of wisdom and war, Athena, wore a shield (an aegis) over her heart with gold chains on it, Mackey says; that is the first layer of the story.
Add in that titanium is one of the strongest metals in the world—they make spaceships out of it, after all, Mackey says—and you have a protective amulet to wear over your heart. Unsurprisingly, the Aegis has become Terramore’s top seller.
“You give it to someone you want to protect. You are under the Aegis,” Mackey says. “This is what I want to do with [Terramore]. I have plenty of jewelry, but what do I want to get now? There’s something about Aegis that’s cool, like a Chanel suit or a leather jacket.”
Terramore debuted in October with four collections ranging in price from $250 to $6,000 (for its engagement rings). Mackey is working with both lab-grown and natural diamonds.
Mackey says she decided to move into jewelry for several reasons. First, she has the ideal partner. She started with brand with Beryl Raff, a jewelry industry veteran who served as chairman and CEO of both Helzberg Diamonds and Zales.
She also saw room within the industry for the kind of storytelling Winky Lux had mastered within cosmetics. Mackey calls makeup creatives among the most powerful story-makers in the world—and ones that the jewelry industry can learn from, especially during this transitional time between lab-grown and natural diamonds.
“Beauty is masterful at weaving a world—creating something people can be a part of,” Mackey says. “I didn’t see that in jewelry and engagements. There was plenty of discussion around the origin of stones, but not enough, ‘What kind of world is this?’ You saw it a little bit at the highest end, but not necessarily where we wanted to be.”
Mackey says Terramore’s name also comes out of that idea of world-building. Terra is about the earth, or the foundation; amore speaks to love. It means you love someone from the earth to the moon and back, she says.
The brand’s marketing also will speak to these love stories. Terramore worked with a romance novelist to create a micro novel that the brand will release in short pieces, building the tension as the story unfolds, Mackey says.
Terramore also is creating a Love Letter club that will start next month. Putting a physical letter in the hands of clients or potential customers is one more way to connect with them, she says. Plus, Gen Z loves to get mail.
“We thought it was such a cool way to stay connected with our community—we can tell the story of a new collection, add a little piece of art to it or share a part of a historical love letter, like Napoleon to Josephine,” Mackey says. “It’s something people will keep around, and that’s what we want to be.”
Top: Terramore founder Natalie Mackey (photos courtesy of Terramore)
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