Designing and creating unique jewellery pieces using natural healing gemstones like aventurine and sunstone are known to fill your soul with good happy energy and inspiration.

And Rarotonga entrepreneur Ria Arthur uses these gemstones to design and create her own line of one-of-a-kind jewellery for her “side hustle” named Island Gypsy.

The Island Gypsy brand produces one-off island/indie inspired jewellery pieces, using positive energy crystals like aventurine and sunstone which helps promotes “happiness, positivity and good health”.

“I love jewellery and bringing my ideas to reality,” says Arthur.

“I saw a gap in the market and wanted to offer something different at a reasonable price.”

Arthur started her venture in late 2019 and it was “going great” until Covid hit. Due to the border closures, no shipping or planes were coming into the country, so she was unable to purchase supplies.

Her momentum paused, and she fell pregnant, so she parked Island Gypsy for a bit. 

Once the borders re-opened Arthur seized the opportunity to rekindle her Island Gypsy jewellery looking to differentiate her style and selections and look at niche groups. 

Arthur also registered for the Women in Business free online business programme when she saw businesswoman and course facilitator Ana File-Heather’s Instagram page.

The course is designed to assist women in business by providing opportunities and the knowledge to understand all the different concepts that go into having a business.

“Ana has always been an inspiration for me and a supporter of my venture so naturally I was intrigued about the course she was promoting,” said Arthur.

“After getting insights about the course, it was exactly what I needed to structure the new ideas I wanted to explore, while enhancing my business knowledge as a start-up.

“The course was an eye-opener, something I should have taken prior to diving into the deep end.”

Taking the course helped Arthur to narrow in on her business goals, map everything out in a business plan and understand how her sales and revenue goals fitted into an expense budget, while learning how to manage a business efficiently.

“It was definitely worthwhile and I got to meet other women entrepreneurs on the same hustle train as myself, which helped motivate me to complete it.

“I would definitely recommend this course, to any aspiring entrepreneur,” said Arthur.

Contact Arthur through her Instagram page if you would like to place an order for Island Gypsy jewellery.