When your jewelry is coiled around the fingers of goddesses like Serena Williams, Michelle Obama, and Emma Watson, Nicole Kidman and Shailene Woodley, you know you’re doing something right. And if that same jewelry is helping female entrepreneurs all over the world succeed, well...shouldn’t we all be wearing it?
Shilpa Yarlagadda certainly thinks so. The Harvard student navigates her way through demanding computer science courses as effectively as she does the Diamond District—now familiar territory since the 2017 launch of her fine jewelry brand, Shiffon Co. The adjustable design of the line’s signature Duet Pinky Ring features two stones, symbolizing a cycle of mutual support among women that Yarlagadda believes is the foundation for a new generation of entrepreneurs. This brand ethos comes to fruition in the form of a social-minded business model, where up to 50 percent of Shiffon Co. profits directly fund seed grants for female-led or female-advancing startups.
Shiffon Co.’s network of powerful women who are “wearing the change”—Yarlagadda’s motto—continues to expand, and you’re invited to join. Here’s how the little pinky ring that could found its way to the Golden Globes, the Oscars, and beyond.
The adjustable pinky ring that coils around the finger and ends with two stones (a sapphire and diamond, or diamond and diamond) represents a pinky promise, referencing the unbreakable pact you made when you were kids. The idea behind the Duet Pinky Ring is that it serves as a physical reminder to promise to pay it forward to other women. The side-by-side stones were even designed to represent one woman supporting one another.
"We wanted to build an innovative and empowered brand for women since so many of the top household names were founded by men," says the jewelry company's founder, Shilpa Yarlagadda.
"We wanted to build an innovative and empowered brand for women since so many of the top household names were founded by men," says the jewelry company's founder, Shilpa Yarlagadda.
"We want people to stand up for what they believe in by supporting other women," adds Yarlagadda. "It's crazy, but I think we can create a more connected and supported world for women through making beautiful jewelry."