One of Dawn L. Grady’s long-time customers from Liberia stood before a judge at her naturalization ceremony, taking the oath to become a United States citizen. Her smile wide and bright, a Brazilian agate slice necklace sat against her collarbones. Forged by Grady’s own two hands, the colorful gemstone was framed by wire loops. Some of those dainty swirls were perfectly formed, while others were not. 
“They represent the moments of life, both perfect and not so perfect,” Grady said. “That’s the piece that she chose to wear in that moment; a necklace that reflects moments, a necklace that reflects who you’re supposed to [become].”
The woman chose to wear that necklace on one of the most important days of her life. For Grady, owner of Junebug Jewelry Designs, moments like those are part of what makes her business so rewarding. Whether at family gatherings, professional events or naturalization ceremonies, seeing women, online or in person, donning her art reflects her mission to make jewelry “for people who were born to stand out.” 
“Those are the kinds of examples where you know that the meaning that you put behind the piece is exactly where it needed to be,” Grady said. “It’s exactly on the right woman.”
Junebug Jewelry Designs was born of trunk shows and long nights spent watching how-to videos on YouTube. Through mentorships, classes and simply trial and error, Grady has been building her jewelry-making skills for over 20 years. Today, she has her own studio in Cincinnati, Ohio, fit with machinery and tools to fuel her art-making practice. 
A model showcases different silver pieces from Grady’s collection. (Allen Woods of Know Photos)
“It’s been a long journey from a bead board sitting in my lap while I made beaded necklaces and watched ‘Desperate Housewives’ episodes to now having a full-fledged jewelry studio in its own space,” Grady said. 
Using a mixture of ancient and modern metal-smithing techniques, her style is big and bold, but designed to be lightweight and wearable. She gets her inspiration from growing up around women whom she deems “boss ladies.” Grady admired their confidence, and part of that had to do with the one-of-a-kind jewelry they wore.
“I have always associated statement pieces with really being a boss and really being able to use them to show off just who you were,” Grady said. “All of the adornments were very unique, very signature to their style, and very telling who they were.”
When designing her pieces, Grady uses ethically sourced materials such as Argentium Silver and semi-precious gemstones. Her signature metal, however, is copper. Strong and malleable, copper holds a lot of meaning to Grady. She hopes to make jewelry meant to be passed on for generations. 
“[Copper] speaks to the endurance of you as an individual,” Grady said, “and how I hope that we, all our legacies, endure long beyond our lifetimes.”
In 2020, Grady opened a storefront in Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati, running it for five years before making the decision to close it this past November. When it was open, she was able to expand her customer base since she could more easily see patrons in person. Outside the brick-and-mortar, little girls would run home from school, passing by Junebug Designs, exchanging smiles with the jewelry maker. 
“They knew who I was, and they knew that I was unique on that strip,” Grady said. “I was just one of a handful of Black faces that they would see when they walked into a retail establishment.”
To Grady, visibility matters, especially as a Black woman business owner. According to the Pew Research Center, about 3% of U.S. businesses were Black-owned in 2022. An even smaller portion of that statistic includes women-owned businesses. Grady hopes to be an example to young women, particularly girls of color, to show that they can be strong and bold, just like her jewelry. 
“We’re not taught to believe in ownership and things of that nature. I feel like everybody nowadays is really being trained as a consumer,” Grady said. “We can forge our own. We can own our own. You can literally use your own two hands and craft something that could earn a living. Those are important messages for me to be able to showcase to the young ladies coming behind me.” 
Today, Grady hopes to boost her digital footprint through social media and her online store. Additionally, she plans to attend more pop-up events and art shows, putting herself in more places to expand her influence and help women feel confident and bold through her art. 
“I’m very intentional about making pieces that you’ll just really want to live in, because they tell a story of who you are before you ever say anything,” Grady said. “I like to create pieces that have meaning. That when you wear it, you’re just reminded of how you really want to show up in the world.”

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