Danika Cooper Jewellery

Danika Cooper Jewellery – A hobby that transformed into a livelihood. Danika and Tumua started Danika Cooper Jewellery in 2017, with stone beaded bracelets, after Tumua was not able to purchase them at regular retail stores in his size. They had the belief that others must be faced with the same problem and wanted to create affordable jewellery for all sizes. It began with just their friends and family purchasing from them on their Facebook pages and it was when they got more requests that they decided to attend Peter Minturn Goldsmithing School during the evenings and on the weekends. Here they learnt how to fabricate and work with precious metals like silver and gold, as well as natural gemstones. Many of the skills taught by the tutors are techniques that have been used for thousands of years in the craft of jewellery making, but Danika and Tumua wanted to make their pieces uniquely Pacific. With Danika’s travels to the Cook Islands (for her job at the time) she fell in love with and purchased several loose black pearls in the hope of one day being able to set them into jewellery for herself. The Goldsmithing School allowed her and Tumua to do just that! This was the turning point for Danika Cooper Jewellery, and as the requests for pearl jewellery rolled in from admirers of the jewellery they had created; they then knew they had found their niche. Fast forward a few years and Danika and Tumua have been able to build the business to where they were able to leave their 9-5 jobs; but this was not without many challenges along the way. Without business degrees, the couple needed to learn quickly. They attended networking events and business seminars online and all over Auckland. They read till early hours of the morning and watched as many jewellery tutorials as possible. They also saved as much money as they could to acquire the basic tools and materials required to create jewellery at home whilst not getting into financial debt. In March of 2020, Danika and Tumua welcomed their first child into the world, but soon they were hit with the biggest hurdle yet. COVID lockdown. This was a huge curve ball for the couple and the business. Not only were they unable to have the support of family and friends through lockdown with their new-born, but they could also no longer host pop up stalls or sell their jewellery through retails stockists. Over the last year and a half, Danika and Tumua have had to adapt to the new times and focus on direct selling through their website and their online social media presence. They have big dreams for the business in taking it globally and hope to one day have their very own retail stores. The couple are strong believers in following one’s passion and have a few tips for those wanting to start their own business. Don’t let tall poppy syndrome stop you. We have had the people closest to us criticise and try hold us back from our goals. It can be really hard to keep your focus on your dream, but we have found that writing down your big goals and putting them where you can see them every day, can help you get there! Mindset – hard work and consistency. Don’t expect anything worthwhile to come easily. You need to be prepared to work really hard to build a business. Sometimes the only thing you can do is keep going and it feels like it’s all falling apart, but it’s those who don’t give up who get to the finish line! Step outside your comfort zone. We are both naturally shy people, particularly when it comes to meeting new people in a professional situation and talk publicly. This still is a hurdle for us, but slowly we are getting better at it. Practice makes perfect! If you want to know more about our story, want to have a special piece of jewellery made or simply get in touch regarding starting a small business. Please contact us via email contactus@danikacooperjewellery.com or visit us website www.daniakcooperjewellery.com -END-