Last year, Judith Bright did something she never imagined. She bought the 1,176-square-foot house on 12th Avenue South where she has had a jewelry studio and retail shop for a decade.
“I didn’t think we would be able to stay,” says Judith, the CEO of her eponymous jewelry brand. The 12South studio and shop wasn’t her first (that title goes to The Mall at Green Hills), nor was it the first that she would have to move out of (again, Green Hills, as well as Atlanta and Berry Hill, but more on all that later). But the walkability of the 12South neighborhood and the way the area has changed over the years had been a big boon to her business. She didn’t want to leave.
Her landlords — a songwriter and his wife — had purchased the building decades ago as their retirement plan. Judith certainly didn’t begrudge them that strategy. But as property values have increased in Nashville, she wasn’t certain she could afford the millions it would take to stay put in a neighborhood that had grown up around her. “I had a right of first refusal in my contract but was convinced I would not be able to afford it,” she says. “It is super competitive to be on that street.”
In the end, Judith was able to get financing from Studio Bank, a Nashville boutique bank that specializes in local entrepreneurship.
Judith serves on the boards of both the Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) and the Nashville Entrepreneur Center (EC), and has participated in a Leadership Nashville cohort, activities that have cemented her position as a mentor and a leader — and one whose business is a good bet.
All of that looks different than it did decades ago, when Judith was living in Los Angeles, working at the Walt Disney Company, and hand-beading jewelry for her coworkers for extra cash, charging $30 for a necklace.
Greek philosopher Heraclitus is credited with the idea that has been reduced to a sound bite: “The only constant is change.” But the philosophy certainly applies to Judith.
In 2004, Judith, her then-husband and their three sons moved to Nashville. He had family in the area, and she had a connection too, having graduated from the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. Judith had already left the field of nursing, finding her work with AIDS patients too emotionally taxing, and had left a job working for entertainment giant Quincy Jones. The family — three small boys and all — had spent the previous year living in Italy, while Judith learned silversmithing. She was turning 40 and looking to pursue her lifelong passion of making jewelry. Ever since she could slip a ring on her finger, she wanted to play with jewelry. While she loved the silver work, it was expensive and time-consuming. (She crafted six pieces total in the time the Bright family lived abroad.)
The business she started in her house in 2005 was a few steps more sophisticated than those beaded pieces she made in LA, but still a long way from the multimillion-dollar business she would build. She switched from silver to 14-karat-gold-filled and non-precious metals because they were less expensive and easier for her to work with, and that decision is part of what allowed Judith Bright Jewelry to thrive.
Judith’s collections are filled with pieces that cost less than $300, with many under $100. That price point and the fact that many pieces are customizable have made Judith’s line popular for bridal parties and other groups who want something similar, but personalized.
“I purchased my bridesmaids’ gifts at Judith Bright and absolutely loved working with Judith and her team to choose something special for my big day,” says Kate Brady, a longtime customer. “The jewelry was unique, and I loved how personalized everything was. The gemstones we chose matched my wedding aesthetic perfectly. Her pieces were beautiful for my black-tie wedding, and my bridesmaids still wear their bracelets today.”
Judith has a rewards program for repeat customers who buy new stacking rings every year or add to collections on birthdays or anniversaries.
In 2010, Judith opened the aforementioned store at The Mall at Green Hills, which made Nashville shoppers more aware of the brand. They also learned to love the pieces because they showed up in movies and TV shows, like The New Adventures of Old Christine and Gossip Girl, thanks to Judith’s entertainment industry connections. It was fun, Judith says, to see Jennifer Lopez wear a piece she designed. But as the business grew, Judith focused on designing pieces that could be in her stores and training other women to make her designs.
Today Judith has a staff of 30, and the women who make her jewelry are creatives who like to make things but may not have experience making jewelry specifically. They work in a collaborative environment, where everyone is encouraged to be part of the design process and bring their own ideas to the table.
The business grew quickly. In 2014, Judith Bright moved out of Green Hills and into the 12South spot she bought a decade later. In between, she opened and closed shops in Atlanta and a production facility in Berry Hill. She’s expanded into L&L Market on Charlotte Avenue and the Factory at Franklin. The Franklin location, in particular, is “going gangbusters” since the property’s recent renovation, she says.
Part of the appeal of her line, Judith says, is that her pieces are “slow jewelry,” in the spirit of slow fashion and slow food. They have thought put into them and can be personalized. They are inclusive, in that they are appropriate for people looking for all price points and sizes, and work for everything from a tween’s first piece of jewelry to an 80th birthday gift.
“We have become disconnected,” Judith says. “And to be able to get back to where you can give someone something that shows you really put some thought into it, rather than just ordering it on Amazon, is really great.”
Now that the 12South location is secure, and the two other stores are bustling, attracting locals and visitors, Judith is not coasting. Within the next two years, she’d like to introduce a line of pieces — made with the Judith Bright techniques — of 14-karat and 18-karat gold. These pieces, she thinks, would appeal to customers who have a little more disposable income than when they first started shopping with her a decade ago. “Cocktail rings are eternally popular,” Bright muses. “They are little sculptures.”
Judith will also continue to give back to the Nashville community that has supported her. A portion of proceeds from the Butterfly Collection is donated to Alive Hospice. Judith uses her training — as a nurse and with people — to bring a calming presence as an end-of-life doula. And she continues to mentor up-and-coming business owners through EO and the EC.
For all the growth and the real estate and the change, Judith brightens most when talking about jewelry and getting to know people through what they wear. “I always find it fascinating and revealing to see how people express themselves in jewelry. It shows who you are and who you have been,” she says. “I love it.”
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