Art by Clark MillerBling It On: An AI Startup Turns Shoppers Into Jewelry Designers
Mariam Naficy made a name for herself as a sharp-eyed ecommerce founder. Now Reid Hoffman and other investors are backing her new retail startup that lets shoppers create their own jewelry, with a little help from AI.
When I met Mariam Naficy last week, she couldn’t wait to show me her new jewelry. She had designed the earrings she was wearing herself. And her bracelet. And her ring for good measure.
Technically, Naficy—whose keen eye for e-commerce trends led her to found the early online makeup retailer Eve.com and Minted, which makes custom holiday cards and wedding invites—had a little help with the creation of her accessories. They were the product of Arcade, a new site she founded that lets shoppers design their own jewelry by punching a few simple words—gold teardrop earrings, say—into an artificial intelligence–powered tool.
Once the customer is satisfied with their design, Arcade will ship a digital model of the jewelry to an artisan in a place that’s teeming with craftspeople, like India or Italy. The artisan will make the design and send the finished piece to the customer within two to three weeks.