Policies & IssuesJul 28, 2025
U.S.-EU Come to Agreement on Tariffs Announced Sunday, the deal will set the tax on goods imported into the United States from the European Union at 15 percent.
EditorsJan 18, 2018
Marla and the Machine
Our editor-in-chief takes a (very short) road trip to the Brooklyn Museum to meet with jewelry designer Marla Aaron and see her much-talked-about vending machine.
Marla Aaron takes a seat in front of her vending machine in the Brooklyn Museum. Originally, Aaron planned to cap the price point of the merchandise in the machine at $500 but bumped it up to $1,500 after noticing her average online sale creeping up.
If you had to guess, how long would you say vending machines have been around? Since the 1800s, or 1700s maybe?
According to a history of a vending and coffee service from NAMA, that is the National Automatic Merchandising Association, the ancient Egyptians had devices in their temples that dispensed holy water as early as 215 B.C.
In the United States, the government granted patents for coin-operated vending machines as early as 1886, and there were some dispensing gum on New York City subway platforms by 1888.
Fast-forward a few thousand years and vending machines are entering the conversation about the future of retail as they are being employed to dispense an ever-increasing variety of products.
Anyone who has passed through an airport in the past decade has seen the machines that sell electronics, like headphones and cell phone chargers, and cosmetics from brands like Benefit and Philosophy.
There are beach-side machines that sell flip-flops, and Japanese company Uniqlo started selling its clothes out of vending machines last year after plans to expand its physical footprint in the U.S. fell flat.
And now, inside a museum in what is inarguably New York’s hippest borough, a jewelry designer named Marla Aaron has a vending machine that dispenses her signature locks.
On a recent morning at the museum, I met with Aaron to see it and chat about why she sunk between $30,000 and $50,000 into a machine that dispenses jewelry with zero consultation.
Reason No. 1 will be very familiar to both designers and retailers today: She was looking for more innovative and cost-effective ways of reaching customers, outside of the traditional store and online channels.
“When you run a small business, you have to be open to a lot of new ideas. You can’t afford to do things the same old way,” Aaron told me as we stood in front of her machine, waiting for it to reboot.
“If I had done all the stuff I am supposed to do in this jewelry industry”--meaning spend thousands of dollars to exhibit at trade shows and pour money into making jewelry that gets sent out on memo--“this brand would not exist. We would not have had the economic tolerance for what that entails,” she said.
“I think that’s what leads you down this sort of path.”
According to a history of a vending and coffee service from NAMA, that is the National Automatic Merchandising Association, the ancient Egyptians had devices in their temples that dispensed holy water as early as 215 B.C.
In the United States, the government granted patents for coin-operated vending machines as early as 1886, and there were some dispensing gum on New York City subway platforms by 1888.
Fast-forward a few thousand years and vending machines are entering the conversation about the future of retail as they are being employed to dispense an ever-increasing variety of products.
Anyone who has passed through an airport in the past decade has seen the machines that sell electronics, like headphones and cell phone chargers, and cosmetics from brands like Benefit and Philosophy.
There are beach-side machines that sell flip-flops, and Japanese company Uniqlo started selling its clothes out of vending machines last year after plans to expand its physical footprint in the U.S. fell flat.
And now, inside a museum in what is inarguably New York’s hippest borough, a jewelry designer named Marla Aaron has a vending machine that dispenses her signature locks.
On a recent morning at the museum, I met with Aaron to see it and chat about why she sunk between $30,000 and $50,000 into a machine that dispenses jewelry with zero consultation.
Reason No. 1 will be very familiar to both designers and retailers today: She was looking for more innovative and cost-effective ways of reaching customers, outside of the traditional store and online channels.
“When you run a small business, you have to be open to a lot of new ideas. You can’t afford to do things the same old way,” Aaron told me as we stood in front of her machine, waiting for it to reboot.
“If I had done all the stuff I am supposed to do in this jewelry industry”--meaning spend thousands of dollars to exhibit at trade shows and pour money into making jewelry that gets sent out on memo--“this brand would not exist. We would not have had the economic tolerance for what that entails,” she said.
“I think that’s what leads you down this sort of path.”
Marla Aaron’s jewelry vending machine was installed at the Brooklyn Museum on Dec. 8, during the holiday season. It measures 72 inches high, 42 inches deep and 30 inches wide, with a footprint of 10 square feet.
Aaron said she began the process of having the machine built two years ago. At first, she wasn’t sure where it should go. A hotel? An airport? No, she decided in both cases, she wanted it to be more “for New York.”
She had a “yes” from several jewelers who were interested in housing it, but didn’t want to put her first vending machine in a traditional store.
She started down the on-a-street path but found that New York City real estate brokers don’t know, or claim not to know, how to charge for a 10-square-foot plot of land (surprising in a city so skilled at renting extremely small spaces, no?). They kept pushing her to just open a store.
Eventually, Aaron ran the idea by her friend and customer Olivia Song, an interior designer who is co-chair of the Brooklyn Museum’s board of advisors, “And it clicked,” she said.
The vending machine would go in the Brooklyn Museum, right outside the door to the gift shop.
Unlike many of the snack and soda variety, Aaron’s machine is opaque, not glass front.
A touch screen, which starts with a video of the designer talking about her jewelry, shows shoppers a picture and gives the price and description for each of the seven styles held within, which range in price from $100 to $1,472.
They tap on the style they want, swipe their credit card, and retrieve their piece from a little door located below and to the right of the touch screen. Receipts, if requested, are emailed.
The machine is part experimental retail and part branding vessel and, like any venture, it has its challenges.
“There is not one moment you can’t be thinking about how your customer feels about your brand.” -- Marla Aaron
The morning that I was there, Aaron and I were trying to run through a purchase so I could see exactly how the machine works, but it kept rejecting credit cards, both hers and mine.
While she messaged with her team to try to work it out (turns out, the machine just hadn’t reconnected to Wi-Fi after being turned off overnight), we took a seat and chatted a bit about something I’m sure a lot of people have wondered: what do you do when something goes wrong with a machine like this, when a credit card doesn’t work or a purchase gets stuck (which hasn’t happened so far, she said)?
“It’s not without its problems,” Aaron allows.
But, she said, she prides her company on being a “very accessible brand.”
She has, in the past, Skyped with customers who are having trouble opening her silver baby locks.
Customers also can find her on Instagram, where she’ll answer direct messages.
She has email addresses on her website as well as phone numbers that ring through to live human beings who also can help. (Aaron said initially, she proposed putting her personal cell phone number on the vending machine, but her team vetoed that.)
In addition, each vending machine purchase comes with a small card that reads in part, “If you would like to return or exchange one of our pieces, please email us at info@marlaaaron.com,” and then goes on to list the details of the company’s return policy.
“There is not one moment you can’t be thinking about how your customer feels about your brand,” she said.
Aaron’s vending machine made its museum debut on Dec. 8 and will be departing in a couple of weeks for destinations unknown, or unknown to us anyway. The designer said she has its next location picked out but isn’t making that information public right now.
Wherever it goes, the machine will be getting a bit of a facelift. Aaron plans to change up the video, which is currently very Brooklyn-centric, and she can also change out the exterior wrap and the product selection within.
The Brooklyn Museum is located at 200 Eastern Parkway and is accessible by the 2/3 train; it sits on top of the Eastern Parkway/Brooklyn Museum stop on that line.
Museum hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday. It is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. You can view the various ticket prices here.
Editor’s note: This article was updated post-publication to correct the date the vending machine arrived at the Brooklyn Museum--it was Dec. 8, not 19--and to remove an incorrect detail about the video that displays on the machine’s touchscreen.
More on Editors
The Latest
CollectionsJul 28, 2025
Nanis Brings a New Palette to ‘Ipanema’A new edition of the Italian brand’s “Ipanema” collection has debuted with gemstones that evoke Brazil’s breathtaking views.
MajorsJul 28, 2025
The 1916 Company Partners with ‘Shark Tank’ Star’s Watch Insurance PlatformThe retailer will refer its customers to WonderCare, founded by venture capitalist and watch collector Kevin O’Leary.
Brought to you by
Taking the Moment Head On: How Rio Grande Champions the Present & Future of Fine JewelryAs a leading global jewelry supplier, Rio Grande is rapidly expanding and developing new solutions to meet the needs of jewelers worldwide.
IndependentsJul 28, 2025
Sissy’s Log Cabin to Open Flagship in Arkansas The jeweler’s largest store yet is set to open in Little Rock next fall.
Weekly QuizJul 25, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
CollectionsJul 25, 2025
Piece of the Week: Jemma Wynne’s ‘Forme’ NecklaceAnne Hathaway was seen wearing the toggle necklace three times while filming scenes for “The Devil Wears Prada 2.”
Events & AwardsJul 25, 2025
Pre-Registration Open for September Hong Kong ShowJewellery & Gem World Hong Kong is scheduled for Sept. 15 to 21, and buyer pre-registration will be available until Sept. 7.
Brought to you by
Investing in the Next Generation of Bench JewelersThe Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship from Jewelers of America returns for a second year.
FinancialsJul 25, 2025
LVMH Sales Slip in H1 Amid ‘Prevailing Uncertainties’Renovations at Tiffany & Co. stores ate into profits in the company’s watch and jewelry division.
Events & AwardsJul 24, 2025
2 Retailers to Receive 2026 Gem Award for Lifetime AchievementMark and Candy Udell of London Jewelers will receive the honor at the 24th annual Gem Awards next March.
SourcingJul 24, 2025
De Beers Sees Diamond Production Sink 36% in Q2 While struggles continue at the mining and trading end of the pipeline, consumer demand for diamond jewelry is holding steady.
CollectionsJul 24, 2025
Francesca Villa Adds Dimension to Her Intaglio CharactersThe “Fantasia” jewelry collection turns the intaglio animals from her “Close Encounters” collection into 3D characters.
WatchesJul 24, 2025
Breitling Drops Super Bowl Watch Honoring the Philadelphia Eagles The special Classic Avi Chronograph 42 with an Eagles-green dial is limited to 59 pieces, a nod to the Super Bowl Philadelphia just won.
CrimeJul 23, 2025
JSA Warns of Violent String of Smash-and-Grabs in California JSA has received reports of mobs swarming jewelry stores, driving cars into the storefront or smashing through the windows.
CollectionsJul 23, 2025
Silvia Furmanovich’s ‘Kashmir’ Collection Is a Tribute to Northern IndiaThe “Kashmir” collection features centuries-old craft techniques made in collaboration with the region’s master papier-mâché artisans.
IndependentsJul 23, 2025
Montreal’s Ecksand Eyes Move to SoHoCreative Director Erica Bianchini shared why the jeweler is looking to expand into the U.S. and how it’s putting Canadian craftsmanship on the map.
IndependentsJul 23, 2025
IJO Raises Nearly $37K for LA Fire Relief Two Los Angeles Fire Department stations plan to use the donations to upgrade their equipment and tools.
CollectionsJul 22, 2025
Jewelry With a Rock ‘n’ Roll Aesthetic Heads to Sotheby’s LondonNext week, the auction house will kick off a selling exhibition of jewelry by British artist Hannah Martin and Coldplay’s Guy Berryman.
SourcingJul 22, 2025
Antwerp Diamond Heist Documentary Coming to Netflix“Stolen: Heist of the Century” is based on “Flawless,” the book about the middle-of-the-night theft, and will debut on Netflix in August.
ColumnistsJul 22, 2025
The Gifting Gap: How to Market Jewelry Beyond the HolidaysEmmanuel Raheb shares the top five gifting moments outside of major holidays that jewelers should build marketing campaigns around.
Events & AwardsJul 22, 2025
NY Now’s Summer Market Returns in AugustThe wholesale trade show’s Luxury Lifestyle section will showcase established and emerging jewelry designers.
MajorsJul 21, 2025
Rio Grande Expands Personalization OfferingsAs demand for custom jewelry grows, the company is expanding its services to support retailers.
Events & AwardsJul 21, 2025
NAJA’s 2025 ‘Ace It’ Conference To Go VirtualThe mid-year conference for jewelry and watch appraisers is slated for Aug. 9 to 10 on Zoom.
TrendsJul 21, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: Graduated With Honors Graduated stones make for elevated tennis-style pieces and dramatic statement necklaces.
Events & AwardsJul 21, 2025
Gem Awards Now Accepting Nominations for 2026Nominations in the categories of Jewelry Design, Media Excellence, and Retail Innovation will be accepted through July 30.
MajorsJul 18, 2025
Lewis Heyman on Sourcing Gemstones, Post-Retirement PlansHe retired last month after 28 years traveling the world to source the very best gemstones for his family’s jewelry business, Oscar Heyman.
TrendsJul 18, 2025
Piece of the Week: CCWW Designs’ Shell Charm NecklaceThe charm necklace features six nautical charms of shells and coral that founder Christina Puchi collected on Florida’s beaches.
