Rachael Shubin of Piper and Pearl Co.

Rachel Shubin is on that l-o-n-g list of people who used to vacation but now lives in Cape May. Raised in Fairfax, Virginia, she spent annual summer vacations here as a child, and knew she wanted to move here after college. “I was always sad when we left Cape May, and I had to wait for the following year’s trip,” Rachel told us. “So, it just made sense to me that I wouldn’t be sad if I lived here.” What she didn’t know was that she’d also start a small business here.

Her day job as a writer was always in Rachel’s plan. “I’ve known since I was eight years old that I wanted to be a writer. Originally, I had my mind set on writing books and then for magazines. But in middle school, I fell in love with newspaper journalism. From then on, I was set on becoming a journalist—and I did just that!”

As a creative outlet, Rachel worked in scrapbooking and journaling. In the back of her mind, though, “I always wanted to create jewelry, but never had the impetus to start.” Enter that catalyst of countless home-improvement projects, ill-fated relationships, and sourdough loaves, the COVID pandemic. “With so much time at home and less work than usual, I wanted a new hobby that took my mind off writing and my anxiety,” Rachel said. “I was browsing Instagram and came across a polymer clay jewelry artist. I’d been thinking about trying acrylic painting, but the idea of jewelry was much more enticing.”

Rachel bought a pair of polymer clay earrings from the first artist she saw and continued to follow her while dabbling in her own creations. “I ordered a clay kit and got started. I wasn’t working with the best type of polymer clay, and once I tried a better formulation, my designs got better. I have no formal training; it was a lot of experimenting, trial, and error, and watching YouTube tutorials!”

Through the Instagram community for polymer clay artists, Rachel met people all over the world working in the same medium. “A lot of artists will tell you it’s hard not to compare yourself to other creators, but the more unique designs I saw, the more I pushed myself to get outside of my comfort zone in my designs. I also had a community of fellow makers behind me who encouraged me and gave me tips.”

Piper and Pearl Co. was born, but the goals were modest. “When I first started making clay jewelry, I assumed I would wear my creations, and maybe a few family members would buy my designs,” Rachel said. “I never expected I would sell to strangers around the world, and I certainly never expected I would sell them in Cape May County shops. After five summers of creating jewelry, it still feels surreal. I think it surprises me because I always knew I would be a writer, but I never thought I would be a jeweler.” 

Part of Rachel’s inspiration is Cape May itself. “Cape May tends to draw creative people who are inspired by nature and animals. It’s no different for me. I enjoy spending time in nature and getting ideas for different earrings to create. I love animals of all kinds, especially cats, and my brand is named for two of my family’s rescue cats. Birds and butterflies are also such an integral part of wildlife and tourism in Cape May, and I love finding clay cutters (think cookie cutters but scaled down in size) that represent local nature.”

Rachel wears her own work, too. “My favorite earrings are almost always changing as I design new ones, but the ones I always go back to are my Cape May beach tag earrings. I designed the cutter and then it was 3D printed by another small business, Squiggle Cutters. Beach tags are iconic in Cape May, and it felt like the perfect design for my shop. I pretty much wear all my earring designs—sometimes it’s hard to make them to sell and not make a pair for myself!”

While that’s certainly a perk of being your own boss, “The best part of my work is seeing people in my jewelry—it never gets old!” Rachel said. “Being able to sell it in local shops in Cape May is surreal. The worst part is when a design I really like doesn’t sell. It’s hard not to be disappointed, but sometimes designs take a while to find the right person.” 

Rachel spends her downtime reading, bullet journaling, going to the beach, and spending time with family and friends. “My family has four cats (three are from Animal Outreach in Cape May), and I love visiting them in Virginia.”

Piper and Pearl earrings are available online at piperandpearlco.com and locally in Ostara’s Coffee House, Perigee Moon Tattoo, Vagabond Cape May, West End Garage (as a Cape Mayniac collaboration), Townbank Tranquility Spa, Muddy Paws, Bad Cat Farm, Maggie’s Boutique, and Red Door Gallery.