Fortune & Frame is a New York-based jewelry brand with an interesting and sentimental origin story. So, you know we had to interview founder and designer Gretel Going!

The brand just released 2 new heart-shaped products that are utterly perfect to gift your person this Valentine’s Day! You can find more information on these fun, expressive designs at the end of this article, along with a video of the interview.

Q: Where did the idea for Fortune & Frame come from, and how did you know it’d be well received?

A: So, I didn’t know it would be well received by people, I forgot to think of that part literally until the day we launched.  l got this fortune from a fortune cookie, and it said, ‘There are many paths to the top of the mountain, but only one view,’ and I was like ‘that’s pretty profound for a fortune cookie.’ And I didn’t fully know what it meant but at that point I was kind of at the bottom of the mountain, I think I’ll hold onto this and maybe I’ll get to the top of the mountain, you know? I put it on my fridge, and it was literally behind a takeout menu and a postcard, and it kept falling on the kitchen floor.  I was kind of attached to this fortune. I thought that I needed a little place for this, like a little frame. I started looking it up and there was nothing, so I thought ‘that would be cool, I can’t believe it doesn’t exist’. This is not my background originally, so for 6 months I just kept thinking about that and how I was going to do this, and it evolved into jewelry. Right before we launched…I realized, I don’t know if anyone would think this was a good idea. Would anyone else want to wear this?

Q: Did you find it discouraging that you had no background in jewelry?

A: At first, I didn’t even know I was going to do jewelry. It was this 2-year process. I would contact people I’d see in Forbes and thought. maybe they could make my little frame for me? It became a process, and I finally met this woman, and she was like ‘you should look into the jewelry process. You’ll have a lot more control and be able to do versatile pieces.’  Once I started looking at jewelry, I thought “these should be lockets,” and I spoke to all these jewelry companies in New York and they wanted nothing to do with me. Finally, this one lady who is the wife of this New York jeweler. She took me under her wing and taught me everything about how to make jewelry. We started with the lockets and have since expanded into a bunch of different pieces.

Q: When did you start the company and where did the name come from?

A: So, my original idea came at the end of 2011, but I didn’t launch until 2014. Fortunately we got really lucky in the first couple of weeks Lorde was wearing it, Suri Cruise) was wearing it, we had media interested in it. I named it Fortune & Frame just because of the original idea of this little frame holding a fortune, so it was a very literal thing.

Q: How have your designs progressed since you first started?

A: Our core pieces…are the fortune lockets and fortune cookies that open. First we thought this was our niche and we’re just gonna make different versions of these, but over the years our brand has changed just because of the people who wear the brand We realized these people came to us bc they’re looking for meaning or want to honor meaning in their lives, and so we’ve expanded the design and the brand to encompass meaningful, symbolic, and sentimental pieces. So now we have a bunch of pieces that have nothing to do with fortunes but a lot to do with helping people express themselves.

We are excited to share two new styles from Fortune & Frame: Deco Heart Locket ($68) and Signet Ring ($34), just in time for Valentine’s Day! 

These deco-inspired heart lockets open to reveal a meaningful message or mantra. Make it personal by customizing it with a message of your own — you can tell your loved one really how you feel on that special day or choose from the 500+ quotes in the Fortune & Frame gallery. The deco-inspired heart rings are a playful take on the traditional signet ring With enamel detailing.

Both new styles are available in 5 enamel colors: Onyx, Ivory, Black & Innuendo Pink, Black & Ivory, and Ivory & Turquoise. The Deco Heart Signet Rings come in two adjustable sizes (5/6 and 7/8).