Maybe you’ve seen her: red hair, pearl necklaces and distinctive style. Or maybe you’ve seen the hand-drawn patterned beetles on the whiteboards of Francisco Henning’s classroom, or the collection of colorful clay bugs on Jessica Wall-Smith’s desk. Meet their creator: junior Josie Bartz. In addition to her miniature clay figurines, she also handcrafts pearl necklaces.

These trinkets are a part of a larger project–Bartz has a business, creating and selling homemade, unique artifacts to her customers. Although this project was not an instant success, Bartz spent years engrossed in her hobbies before monetizing them. 

“I’ve always been artsy. I’ve always been crafty,” Bartz said. “But, I think it started as a young kid sorting through my grandma’s jewelry.” 

And once that passion lit, her aunt, who is a professional jeweler, lent a hand. She taught Bartz how to wire wrap – a technique in jewelry that involves wrapping wire around beads to make them more secure. 

Then, one day, something on Instagram caught Bartz’s attention. It was a sculpting project.

“I was like, ‘Oh that’s cool, I want that.’ And then I was like, ‘Wait… I could make that.’ Then I did,” Bartz said.

Bartz began to accelerate the process of making and producing jewelry and is quite efficient at it now. Eventually, in the fall of 2024, she made her first sale. 

Her smaller trinkets are sold anywhere between $5-15. Her necklaces, often incorporating real pearls and silver plated wire, are sold anywhere from $20-50. Bartz recognizes that the price range may deter customers.

“They’re real pearls. So are my necklaces on the pricey side? Yes. Are they good quality? Yes,” Bartz said.

The cost is high compared to the average high schooler’s allowance. Pearl prices can range anywhere from $1-100,000. The price of an average pearl tends to remain around $300–1500. To reduce the cost of her jewelry, Bartz sifts through thrift stores and buys these gemstones in bulk, often using smaller, more delicate and organically shaped pearls. 

Larger, personalized projects usually go for a higher price. Paintings and sculptures are difficult to standardize and a client’s ideas can easily be misinterpreted. Bartz asks for reference photographs or works slower, allowing time to occasionally refer back to her customers and readjust her direction with the artwork. After the tailored piece is complete, Bartz must decide if she likes it, always asking herself if the final product is a good representation of her business and abilities. 

However, these large projects are not frequently requested. The most common product Bartz sells are her clay bugs. They come in different shapes, sizes and funky patterns. 

“I definitely prefer the smaller things. The little trinkets, and doo-dats,” Bartz said. “I like little things that you can sneak in your pocket and carry around with you.”

Homemade, personalized trinkets carry a stronger value and tie Bartz to her customers on an emotional level. Bartz feels a sense of pride when she produces her work; excitement bubbles through her chest when her customers react to her pieces. 

“[One of my customers] was so excited when I showed her my stuff. Like, my little bugs. She was just thrilled,” Bartz said. “That made me really happy. Cause, a lot of people are like, ‘Oh my gosh it’s so expensive.’ And that’s a little hurtful because hey, that’s my art. It can feel like a personal attack. But, when you do get those encounters, where they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh this is so cool,’ that makes it worth it.”