Permanent jewelry has been a work of art for centuries, seen in traditional neck rings and newly popular tooth gems. Recently, permanent jewelry has had a bit of a resurgence, naturally amping up sales for local business, Linked Permanent Jewelry.
Penn State alumna Emily Beals co-founded Linked Permanent Jewelry in the summer of 2022. Four years later with her sister Katie Smith, the business offers a unique service, setting up shop across Centre County to bring beautiful jewelry to the community.
“We are a pop-up shop, and then we have a selection of chains that you can pick from,” says Beals, proudly describing the offerings of Linked Permanent Jewelry. “You can do a bracelet, anklet, necklace, ring. … We do hand chains, too, and we custom fit it to how you want it to be, and then we weld it so it’s permanent.”
“You can add charms, so it’s completely customizable to how you want it to be,” Beals adds. “You can really make it anything, but it’s nice because it fits to how you exactly want it to fit.” As a pop-up shop, Linked Permanent Jewelry hosts events in a wide range of areas. Having no storefront gives the team a bit of freedom and customers a chance to find them wherever they go.
“We go to bars. We go to McLanahan’s,” Beals says. “We’ve been in their clothing store, but we’ve also been downtown at their A’s Pub (at McLanahan’s Downtown Market). We go to all the housing places, the apartments, coffee shops.” That’s just the tip of the iceberg, as Linked Permanent Jewelry also travels throughout the state to set up shop for anyone interested.
Although it sometimes poses a challenge, the community-driven atmosphere and word- of-mouth energy running through Centre County help Linked Permanent Jewelry find success without a brick-and-mortar store. “There are a lot of women-owned businesses in State College that like the idea of us coming and doing jewelry,” Beals states, with Penn State sororities being one of their biggest clients.
“We do a lot of events with sororities and Penn State organizations to donate back to THON. We’re really busy with that from the fall until February, up until THON.” The popularity of perfectly tailored jewelry hasn’t just taken over sororities, but also entire families interested in a commemorative piece of wearable art that lasts. Best of all, the great artistic work brings old and new customers out each year.
“We do a lot of birthday parties, bridal showers, baby showers, and weddings, in addition to all of the fundraisers,” Beals says. Best of all, the great artistic work brings old and new customers out each year.
“We have a lot of repeat customers. … Last year, I think it was 11 organizations through Penn State for THON, and this year we were over 20,” Beals says, and they serve more than just the sorority girls. “We’ve had a 10-year-old [boy] up until an 80-year-old,” Beals says. “They’re not big on anklets, but they like the necklaces and bracelets.”
Between community support and our digital age, Linked Permanent Jewelry has swiftly navigated the business into a unique, community-driven service. “Social media is a big thing,” Beals responds when asked about the benefits of running the business in Centre County. “Just people sharing our schedule, asking us to come in, and hosting us, and it really just goes back to word-of-mouth.”
Permanent jewelry can be more than just a statement piece; supporting Linked Permanent Jewelry is the perfect way to commemorate memories, loved ones, or traditions while championing your community. Just a social media post away, Linked Permanent Jewelry regularly updates on Instagram (@linkedpj) and Facebook (@linked permanent jewelry) to showcase upcoming events and new materials. Beals believes the recent growth in the business is just beginning.
“We’re adding to our team. We’re also introducing new chains all the time, and we’re also trying to keep inventory of the current chains we have, but we’re always trying to look for new places and continue going to the places that we know we’re successful in.” Calling Centre County home means Linked Permanent Jewelry gets to reap the benefits of a tight-knit community, an example of the success that comes when supporting local businesses. As it’s been done for centuries, permanent jewelry is here to stay, and Linked Permanent Jewelry is the way to get a staple piece from the local community you can love forever. T&G
Angelique Redwood is a freelance writer based in State College.
