In a little over 2 years, Twenty-Eight Minna has grown from a mere adolescent dream to a luxury jewelry brand that provides high-quality, life-proof pieces to the multifaceted woman. This Minna's Corner Post follows my journey of starting and owning a luxury jewelry brand worn by 'beauty queens'.
The Beginning
I had plans to start my business in 2019, right before the start of COVID. But, my dream was put on hold when I got pregnant back- to- back. In a very short amount of time, I became a mom of two under two. Balancing full-time work and being a new mom was overwhelming. There was a lot going on and happening around me and I just did not feel like myself.
Pictures of Aminna "Minna" with her infant sons.
When I was 28 years old, I realized I lost myself. While caring for everyone else and worrying about my career, I forgot what it meant to be Aminna. In March 2022, I decided it was finally time to focus on me and founded Twenty-Eight Minna. The name served as a way to immortalize when I reclaimed my identity as Aminna “Minna”, not just as a mom or wife.
The Why
My passion for jewelry began when I was really young. I used to design and sell handmade pieces at local youth art fairs. As I got older, jewelry became a way for me to express myself, and to boost my confidence and mood.
I mainly bought jewelry from clothing retail and department stores since they were fairly priced and easily accessible. However, many of the pieces would cause me to breakout. I remember having to put Vaseline on my ears and earring posts before putting them on. And sometimes, that did not help. Some days my ears would be so irritated that I could not wear my earrings, and I just felt naked.
I also found that many of my pieces would lose their shine and turn a bluish-green color - which I later learned was
them tarnishing. Not being able to wear my earrings every day and then only being able to keep them for a short period of time before they tarnished was frustrating.
I found several e-commerce stores that offered pieces that were tarnish-resistant and hypoallergenic, but they were extremely expensive. And affordable e-commerce jewelry either looked low-quality, were made out of allergy-triggering metals, or the packaging made me less enthusiastic about spending money on them.
For Twenty-Eight Minna, I wanted to provide pieces that solve all the problems I experienced. I wanted to offer jewelry that would be waterproof, tarnish-resistant, and hypoallergenic to ensure they could be enjoyed and worn long-term, even by individuals with sensitive skin.
Pieces of Twenty-Eight Minna Jewelry. Pictured: Stone Encrusted Hoop Earrings
The Twenty-Eight Minna Difference
I officially launched Twenty-Eight Minna as an e-commerce jewelry boutique in March 2024, focusing on making women feel confident, valued, appreciated, and empowered; Twenty-Eight Minna is here to help our customers showcase their personalities and provide them with pieces that are versatile and can withstand their many facets.
I wanted Twenty-Eight Minna jewelry to withstand rushing to the gym for a quick workout or to swim laps; be versatile enough to be worn during important business meetings or presentations AND enjoying a night out. Or simply hanging out with family and friends at home or at a kid's game. Above all, our jewelry needed to look luxurious, be high-quality, and maintain its elegance and integrity so our customers can feel great whenever they wear our pieces.
Twenty-Eight Minna Today
Twenty-Eight Minna has grown into the jewelry brand my younger self could only dream of. Our pieces exudes elegance, sophistication, and luxury that even 'beauty queens' wear them.
In June, we had the opportunity to style the soon-to-be 2024 Miss Iowa USA, McKenzie Kerry. When McKenzie won, she used her platform to elevate the brand awareness of Twenty-Eight Minna.
McKenzie Kerry, 2024 Miss Iowa USA, wearing the Twenty-Eight Minna Mesh Semi-Hoop Earrings. Photo courtsey of McKenzie Kerry's Instagram account.
I had the pleasure of being a part of Iowa KCCI's feature story of Miss Iowa USA and her journey to the crown. And thanks to 2024 Miss Iowa USA McKenzie Kerry and KCCI News 8 Anchor Jodi Long, Twenty-Eight Minna is vibrantly growing.
You can watch the full feature story
here and read the article on KCCI's website.
Final Thoughts
As a Black-owned, woman-led small business having the support of others means so much! Thank you all for your support and helping Twenty-Eight Minna become a real-life dream.
