Cherry Jubilee

2–3 minutes

A look into Jessica Yu’s jewelry business

Staff Writer

Over the years local businesses have popped in and out of existence. Yet, a three-year business run by an American student still finds itself going strong. Cherry Jubilee, run by Jessica Yu (11), sells a variety of homemade jewelry.

Yu described her business as selling cute jewelry, both custom and pre-designed. “I offer a variety of styles, from more whimsical and silly pieces to elegant and more formal ones,” she said. When asked about what specifically she sells, Yu excitedly replied, “I normally focus on earrings, but I’ve made bracelets, necklaces, and phone charms.”

According to Yu, “I started in 8th grade, after picking up jewelry-making as a hobby during the pandemic.” But, her business only began after friends started asking to buy custom jewelry from her. “I had a whole epiphany moment where I was like, ‘Wow, they really like my jewelry’” she said.

She first kicked off sales through Instagram, where the algorithm did its magic. The chance to sell in-person didn’t come until high school, where American’s night markets allowed Yu to open pop-up shops. It has proved to be a great opportunity to market Cherry Jubilee to new customers. She said, “Now, I get the most outreach and engagement at school events, such as the Fine Arts Fair or Night Market.”

As for other people’s opinions on her jewelry, Anaya Pangarkar (10), bought pearl earrings from Cherry Jubilee at the night market last year. She said, “the designs are versatile and creative and the earrings are super comfortable and durable.”

Alicia Liao (11), having been gifted a pair of earrings made by Yu, agreed, saying “Her quality is good, though I don’t use them a lot since they’re the dangling ones.”

Yu has high hopes for the future and plans to expand her business further. “I want to get one thousand followers on Instagram,” she said, with 741 followers currently on her Cherry Jubilee business account. “I’ve also been working on shipping and an online website. Hopefully, everything works out and it’ll all be set up soon.”

With her current goals and sales going strong in the wake of new school events, Yu said “I’m pretty happy with where I am right now. I actually have an order pending right now!”