Meet Jenny Watts & Karen Horn Smith Fossil & Hide | Jewelry Designers

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jenny Watts & Karen Horn Smith Fossil & Hide and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jenny Watts & Karen Horn Smith, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Our thought process couldn’t of been more organic. Both of us have always been into wearing a lot of jewelry even from a very young age, so it was only natural that when we first met we were always complementing each others jewelry. Eventually we discussed getting together to experiment with making our own pieces. A lot of the stuff we were into at the time was super expensive and out of our budgets so we thought why not try and make our own jewels. We didn’t start out with the intention of starting a jewelry business. It was more a creative outlet for both of us and also a way to make pieces we would want to wear that we couldn’t find in shops. We were getting tons of compliments on the creations we adorned so we decided to try out having a trunk show at one of our houses. To advertise we brainstormed a name that made sense to what we were creating and then started an IG page posting teasers leading up to the sale of our first ever collection. After selling out of everything in that first pop up we realized that there was a demand for what we were creating and that we could turn our fun project into a successful business.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Fossil and Hide is a jewelry company that started in 2012 in Atlanta GA. What started out as a creative outlet, soon became a full blown passion project for us. Focusing on one of a kind pieces while incorporating ancient jewelry traditions into our ever changing body of work, we adhere to the idea of making pieces we would want to wear. We also find it important to hone in on a production that eliminates waste by using 100% of our scrap metal to create all of our casted and inlay pieces. Fossil + Hide exists to create bold, wearable art that transforms the wearer’s experience – bringing them confidence, protection and good luck. We believe that our jewelry can unearth the power within. What excites us the most is the fact that we make wearable art and that it’s out there in the world. We’ve created literally thousands of pieces of jewelry for anyone and everyone.
Some of the most challenging aspects of pursuing this creative endeavor are juggling other jobs for years as well as learning how important time management and discipline are to running a business.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We would take our friends to Kimball House for amazing cocktails, oysters and dinner. Gaja for some great Korean food and a punk rock vibe. The Earl or 529 to see a rock show. Just Add Honey for the best loose leaf tea in town. A day hike at Kennesaw Mountain. Vintage and antique shopping at Kudzu, Highland Row and Mother Load. Record shopping at Ella Guru, Wuxtry and Wax n’ Fax. An entire day would be spent of Buford Hwy shopping and eating. Getting coffee at Aurora then popping into Factors for a Negroni Spritz and a custom tailored suit. Hit up A Capella Books for a great read then on to 3 Parks Wine shop for a bottle of natural wine before visiting one of Atlanta’s many green spaces. Another day would be spent at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights followed by a trip to the High museum. Around 5 we would get happy hour drinks at Lloyd’s Restaurant and Lounge then finally catch the B52’s farewell show at the Fox Theater. Phew! Then sleep.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The biggest compliment of all is when our customers are constantly telling us that the world needs our jewelry and to keep creating. The main reason we are still in business for over a decade is due to our fans and collectors. So a big shout out to all our loyal F+H family.

Website: fossilandhide.com

Instagram: fossil_and_hide

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fossilandhide

Image Credits
Every photo submitted was taken by Fossil & Hide.