You’ve probably heard the expression, “Find a penny, pick it up. All day long, you’ll have good luck,” but how about wearing the lucky penny? For the husband and wife team at D2E Gallery, the lucky penny has become a hallmark of their jewelry business.
The inspiration to highlight copper coins in jewelry came from one of Michell Mathis’s customers. In an interview with the Northwest Indiana Times, Michell told the story of her inspiring customer. Her customer’s husband, a train engineer, would smash pennies on the railway for his wife and children to put in their pockets and think of him while he was at work. The wife came to Michell and asked if the coins could be personalized and made into necklaces and key chains for the kids.
“That was the birth of the hand-stamped penny for D2E,” Michell to the Northwest Indiana Times. “We took that idea and rolled with it. It plays into the idea of always having a lucky penny on you.”
The copper-infused creations are best sellers for the D2E Gallery. Copper pennies are hammered into coins to adorn bracelets, necklaces, key chains, pet tags, wine glass charms, and much more. Once hammered out, they are hand stamped with letters and images to create truly one-of-a-kind pieces.
Naturally artistic since she was a child, shop owner Michell told the Northwest Indiana Times that she’s a self-taught jewelry designer. “I studied through literature and the Internet and am always continuing to study, always learning new jewelry techniques and designs,” she said.
D2E hand stamped coins say a variety of phrases for many occasions, such as “Live your dreams,” “Survivor,” and “True friends,” just to name a few. D2E wrap bracelets have multicolored, twisted fabrics, coordinated beautifully with charms for each design. The wrap bracelets are adjustable and customizable. Many of the D2E necklaces have multiple coins and some have gems attached. Another top seller for the shop are key chains, which can be personalized with special dates, names, and initials. Along with copper, D2E offers aluminum, mixed metal sterling, and .999 reclaimed fine silver, which is always marked with .999FS.
For the Mathis’s, they take the expression “the customer is always right” to heart. The company name was another aspect of the business that was customer-inspired. Michell told the Northwest Indiana Times after a customer described her jewelry as “down to earth” she knew that was the name for the company. For visual clarity, they shortened Down to Earth Jewelry to D2E.
The D2E Gallery & Gifts storefront is located at 702 Merrillville Road in Crown Point, IN. “Michell has incredible vision, so when she walked in she could already see everything in place,” co-owner Chris Mathis told the Northwest Indiana Times. After looking at several locations from Lowell to Merrillville, once the couple decided on the location they dug into their savings to open the storefront. Along with D2E’s handmade creations, the gallery also features the work of over 50 artists and crafters – local, national, and international.
Customers don’t need to walk into their storefront to invest in one of their original pieces. D2E Gallery runs a successful Etsy online store with over 1000 sales since January of 2012. D2E can also be found at farmer’s markets and festivals local to the Crown Point area, such as the Valparaiso’s Popcorn Festival and Crown Point’s Arts and Crafts Festival.
All of D2E’s purchases come professionally packaged in drawstring organza bags. Customers will find a complimentary polish pad for care in the bag and topped off with a gift tag. With a look at D2E’s online Etsy shop, they welcome custom orders and are grateful for the opportunity to create personalized gifts.
In honor of the success of the D2E Gallery & Gifts location, the Mathis’ have decided to have In The News create a plaque of the Northwest Indiana Times article, “An Artistic Touch,” to display proudly in the D2E Gallery location. The article highlights the great addition the gallery is to the community by featuring the work of over 50 artists and crafters, both local and international. Every time a new customer enters the gallery location, they can learn about the early milestones of D2E and the high value they put on their customers. The professionally designed plaque features the publication name, feature article and photo, and a personalized and dated plaque.
In The New was thrilled to create the newspaper feature article into a permanent trophy for the D2E Gallery. We wish the accomplished couple many years filled with inspiration, creation, and success. May the luck of all the lucky pennies they’ve hammered pave the way for a successful road ahead. It is our hope the D2E Gallery is “In The News” for years to come.
