Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura & Amanda Hornberger
Hi Laura & Amanda, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
The formation of Maejean Vintage was fueled by our passion for vintage & antiques, especially jewelry! My sister and I always enjoyed thrifting, bidding at auctions, and treasure hunting at estate sales. Even as young children, we loved playing in our grandparents’ antiques room. Slowly, we started offering some of our finds for sale on an auction website. We networked with other antique jewelry dealers, read many books, and conducted lots of research online. Next, we formed Maejean Vintage with the help of our attorney and accountant. We started offering fine vintage and antique jewelry online on Etsy and began our Graduate Gemologist program at GIA. We graduated from the GIA program and worked hard expanding our business, hiring more employees, and establishing our own independent website! Last summer, we began offering in person, curated appointments for our clients which have been a huge success so far. We are currently booked months in advance!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has been exhilarating, at times chaotic, yet always fulfilling! One major struggle was not being taken seriously at the beginning of our business. I believe that our younger age and being in an industry that is still typically dominated by men made that more challenging. It took us years of hard work to earn respect and acceptance from some people. Another business challenge was keeping up with our business operations when we quickly grew! Covid actually grew our business exponentially, since everyone was doing their jewelry shopping online.
As you know, we’re big fans of Maejean Vintage . For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Maejean Vintage offers a curated collection of genuine vintage, antique, and estate jewelry. We specialize in timeless heirlooms from the Victorian, Edwardian, Art Deco, and Mid Century eras. Co-owners Laura Mae and Amanda Jean are sisters and GIA Graduate Gemologists! We are female owned and operated, currently with a team of 8. Something that sets MJV apart is we offer customized in-person shopping experiences with appointments. For our appointments, we customize jewelry showcases to display only items that the customer is seeking. For example, if a client is searching for an alternative engagement ring in 14k yellow gold or higher, we will tailor a showcase collection to match that description.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
We love many things about Baltimore! We are especially drawn to the history, attractions/ museums, restaurants, and the inner harbor area. As for what we like least – perhaps the overwhelming amount of options of what you can do in the city. That’s also a very positive aspect; there truly are so many interesting things to do and sights to see!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.maejeanvintage.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maejeanvintage
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaejeanVINTAGE
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@maejeanvintage
