TechnologyFeb 11, 2026
Gemvision Symposium 2026 Slated for AprilTechnologyMar 11, 2026
Cast Jewelry’s Rachel Skelly on Coming Back Online Only
Skelly shares her plans for reimagining the fine jewelry retailer she re-acquired after it faltered last year.
Cast recently relaunched online with the introduction of a new reversible “Compass” pendant. It’s seen here in the “Voyager” colorway, which is sterling silver and 14-karat gold with malachite, turquoise, and sky-blue topaz on one side and diamonds on the reverse ($3,250 full size, $850 mini).
San Francisco—Less than a year after announcing the closure of its stores and website, California-based jewelry company Cast relaunched its business earlier this year.
Cast, which previously operated three brick-and-mortar stores, is now functioning as an online-only business, owner Rachel Skelly said in an interview with National Jeweler last month.
Its first product drop includes the launch of the reversible “Compass” pendant featuring the brand’s “Flip” design, along with a curated collection of natural diamond and colored gemstone pieces, and new colorways in its “Flip” rings.
Skelly, alongside co-founder and fellow entrepreneur Eric Ryan, launched the business in 2021.
The company originally focused on retail, selling jewelry through its Bay Area stores, as well as collaborating with celebrities like actress Issa Rae on unique collections and partnering with Nordstrom on the in-store activation called “StyleBar.”
Last summer, Skelly posted a video to Instagram announcing that Cast would be closing; operating costs had gotten too high, she told National Jeweler.
She said in the video that she had acquired Cast’s intellectual property, patents, and trademarks and would be relaunching the business.
“It felt like the whole story was cut short, and it was,” she said in the interview.
“There is so much that was working, and I love the product. I love our clients, and there's such a great community. We had been building, and the brand had been resonating, and I, personally, was just not done.”
Related stories will be right here …
Cast, which previously operated three brick-and-mortar stores, is now functioning as an online-only business, owner Rachel Skelly said in an interview with National Jeweler last month.
Its first product drop includes the launch of the reversible “Compass” pendant featuring the brand’s “Flip” design, along with a curated collection of natural diamond and colored gemstone pieces, and new colorways in its “Flip” rings.
Skelly, alongside co-founder and fellow entrepreneur Eric Ryan, launched the business in 2021.
The company originally focused on retail, selling jewelry through its Bay Area stores, as well as collaborating with celebrities like actress Issa Rae on unique collections and partnering with Nordstrom on the in-store activation called “StyleBar.”
Last summer, Skelly posted a video to Instagram announcing that Cast would be closing; operating costs had gotten too high, she told National Jeweler.
She said in the video that she had acquired Cast’s intellectual property, patents, and trademarks and would be relaunching the business.
“It felt like the whole story was cut short, and it was,” she said in the interview.
“There is so much that was working, and I love the product. I love our clients, and there's such a great community. We had been building, and the brand had been resonating, and I, personally, was just not done.”
Skelly is doing a few things differently for “Cast 2.0,” as she calls it.
“I’m fundraising in a very different way. I’m focusing on a smaller raise, looking for people focused on female founders, on consumer brands, and in the fashion luxury space,” she said.
“And I’m also focusing on more angel, early, pre-seed type funding. I'm really trying to raise as little as I need to sustainably get the business up and running,” she said.
The female-founder language is also more at the forefront of Cast’s marketing than it was previously.
“We were primarily female-led, and our crew was mostly women, which I was super proud of, as was [Ryan]. It was a big part of our story, but we also had so many other stories to tell,” Skelly said.
“Now that it’s just me as a founder on my own, and I’m bringing back my team—in bits and pieces, as I can—of all women, I feel really proud of that.”
Before Cast collapsed last year, Skelly served as its chief creative officer, collaborating with designers on pieces exclusive to the brand, and curating limited-time offerings from “guest brands.”
Now, she’s doing more of the ideating herself.
The new “Compass” pendant, available in two colorways, each with a “mini” option, is her own design, inspired by her personal journey in bringing the brand back.
The “Compass” pendant in the colorway “Nomad” is made in 14-karat gold and features black onyx, tiger eye, and citrine on one side, and diamonds on the other ($7,950 full size, $1,250 mini).
“I was thinking about my journey and how I’ve just been so focused on like my North Star and not losing sight of that, even when everything else seems like it’s over … The idea of a compass came to me because it’s such the perfect symbol of centering yourself and trusting your gut,” she said.
Her other considerations for the future include finding a way to bring back customization options and exploring an expansion into wholesale.
“In our stores, you could come in and choose exactly the stones you wanted in your ‘Flip’ rings, so you could make your own colorways, and then we would custom make it for you,” Skelly explained.
“That’s something I want to be able to offer online, but it’s a little more complicated.”
“And,” she continued, “because we don't have physical stores, my plan is to also lean in on trunk shows, especially this year as we ramp up, and I hope to get into some small wholesale accounts by the end of the year. I think trunk shows can be a great way for us to get out there in front new customers.”
Skelly comes from a background in graphic design and previously worked in creative direction roles for wellness brands Plum Organics and Olly.
Ownership is an exciting and challenging new venture.
It was her passion for self-expression that ultimately drove her to fight for the brand.
“When I was in high school, I had rings on every single finger, my thumbs, and my second knuckles. I had rings on my toes. I was that girl with a million piercings,” she said.
“There’s something about that self-expression that has always been innate in me, and I think in all of us. We want to share our story. We want to be understood. There’s something we want the world to understand about us, and I feel like fine jewelry is a really amazing and beautiful way to do that.”
More on Technology
The Latest
ColumnistsMar 31, 2026
Q1 Clues That Reveal Where Your Jewelry Store’s Sales Are Heading These customer behavior patterns say a lot about how successful your jewelry store is going to be this year, Emmanuel Raheb writes.
CollectionsMar 31, 2026
Mejuri Adds Silver to ‘Puzzle’ CollectionMejuri’s popular collection of 18-karat yellow gold vermeil rings debuted in sterling silver alongside new “Puzzle” slider charms.
CollectionsMar 31, 2026
Buddha Mama, Ashley Longshore to Host Pop-Up in DallasThe Miami-based jewelry brand and the NYC-based artist will be in Dallas from April 9-11.
Brought to you by
Protect Your Customers and Your BusinessYou deserve to know what you are selling–to protect your customers as well as your business and your reputation.
SourcingMar 31, 2026
NDC Designates April 8 as 'World Diamond Day'The initiative invites those in the industry to share stories on social media highlighting the meaning and impact of natural diamonds.
Weekly QuizMar 26, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
SourcingMar 31, 2026
GIA VP Jillian Wolk to Take Over at Tracr Wolk’s first day on the job as CEO of Tracr, De Beers Group’s blockchain platform, will be May 1.
EditorsMar 30, 2026
Tom Moses Looks Back on His Decades at GIA Moses, who will leave the lab in May after nearly 50 years, discusses his start in the business, gemstones that stand out, and what’s next.
Brought to you by
Is This You? Every Jeweler Has This Problem; We Have the Solution.Every jeweler faces the same challenge: helping customers protect what they love. Here’s the solution designed for today’s jewelry business.
TrendsMar 30, 2026
Oscar Heyman Debuts First Spring CatalogThe new catalog, which showcases 35 one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry, is a compliment to the company’s popular holiday catalog.
SourcingMar 30, 2026
Rio Tinto Hauls Last Load from DiavikProduction has ceased at the Canadian diamond mine, which has yielded more than 150 million carats of rough diamonds in its 23-year run.
MajorsMar 30, 2026
Tanishq Opens First New England LocationThe store opening marks the 10th United States location for the India-based jewelry retailer.
MajorsMar 27, 2026
Saks Global Has Changed Its Mind About Closing These 3 StoresTwo Saks Fifth Avenue locations, one in Florida and one in California, and one Neiman Marcus store are off the chopping block.
IndependentsMar 27, 2026
Jimmy West, Longtime LJG Executive Director, Dies at 72West, who started in the art department at the Leading Jewelers Guild in 1979, is remembered for his patience, kindness, and dedication.
CollectionsMar 27, 2026
Itä’s ‘Yarí Whirl’ Ring Tells Every Side of the StoryIn the “Tesoro” version of the ring, our Piece of the Week, each side of the gold hexagonal nugget has a unique colored gemstone design.
WatchesMar 26, 2026
Q&A: Citizen Watch America President Jeffrey Cohen on Eco-Drive’s 50th AnniversaryCohen discusses the evolution of Citizen’s light-powered technology, the brand’s cross-generational appeal, and tariffs.
IndependentsMar 26, 2026
Peter Smith Pens Book on Human Behavior in Sales“Essentially Human: On Sales and Salespeople" reveals the underlying human traits and behaviors of the most successful sales professionals.
CollectionsMar 26, 2026
Lionheart Celebrates 13 Years of ‘Cassandane’The collection features symbols of love, luck, and light, based on the story of Queen Cassandane and Cyrus the Great of Persia.
Events & AwardsMar 26, 2026
NAJA, Instappraise Introduce New ScholarshipIt’s the third scholarship to be launched as part of the partnership to help appraisers advance their professional credentials.
Events & AwardsMar 26, 2026
JA Still Accepting Entries for 2026 CASE AwardsThe deadline for entries in the jewelry design competition has been extended to April 3.
SourcingMar 25, 2026
Rob Bates Steps Down as JCK News Director After 28 years with JCK, the veteran industry journalist is launching his own publication on Substack called The Jewelry Wire.
GradingMar 25, 2026
New York’s Natural History Museum, Wiley To Build Minerals DatabaseWiley said the project will give scientists worldwide access to the American Museum of Natural’s History renowned mineral collection.
CollectionsMar 25, 2026
Boochier Turns Flower Friendship Bracelets Into Fine JewelryThe “Flower Puff” collection looks to beaded flower friendship bracelets from childhood, turning the silhouette into nostalgic fine jewelry.
Policies & IssuesMar 25, 2026
Community for Ethical Jewelry to Host Bench Jeweler Shortage WebinarSet for April 2, the webinar will discuss how the jewelry industry can address the workforce gap.
IndependentsMar 24, 2026
Lisa Bayer, Illustrator and Beloved Member of the Muse Family, Dies at 64Bayer, founder of Lisa Bayer Designs, is remembered as “a bright light in every room.”
AuctionsMar 24, 2026
White Diamonds Shine In Christie's Jewels Online SaleThe highest-grossing lot was a Tiffany & Co. ring set with a flawless, emerald-cut diamond of 10 carats.
SourcingMar 24, 2026
AGTA Solidifies Tucson Dates For 2027-2029The next three editions of AGTA GemFair Tucson will feature a five-day show that includes Sunday.
WatchesMar 24, 2026
Christie’s Names New Senior Specialist, WatchesFormer Sotheby’s executive Tom Heap has taken on the London-based role.
