Sisters Elizabeth Stafford White and JaCquelyn Stafford Buckner grew up in Greensboro, NC. One attended UNC-Chapel Hill, the other, College Of Charleston. After college both of the sisters had a short stint in Atlanta and then returned to their Old North State roots, settling down in the Queen City. Its safe to say that these two are true Carolina girls, and you can see it in their jewelry, inspired by the coastal calmness of the shores of the lowcountry.
Elizabeth and Jacquelyn have been collecting jewelry for quite some time. They would go with their cool aunt to flea markets and leave with heaps of African trade beads and other unique treasures that would later inspire the start of Twine and Twig. Starting a jewelry line had never been discussed- until something unfortunate happened.
Jacquelyn Buckners daughter was diagnosed with a brain tumor. During the trying times Jacquelyns sister Elizabeth was always there for her family. She would go to the doctors appointments and medical centers with Jacquelyn – and sat next to her during the six hour surgery to keep her calm. She just wanted to support their family and act as a distraction for Jacquelyn. Thankfully, the tumor was benign and Jacquelyns daughter is doing fantastic!
Out of appreciation for being there for her and her family, Jacquelyn decided to take Elizabeth to get a gift: a necklace. They took the beads that they collected together at flea markets to a jewelry store in town to get them strung. The jeweler told them that they would happily string the beads on metal with a clasp, in usual fashion. Elizabeth, wanting this necklace and gesture to be anything but usual passed on the jewelers offer and immediately went home to make something unique. The necklace she made, by adding the beads to twine, and eventually a suede strap that Jacquelyn added, was gorgeous. The rest is history and the two sisters started their very own jewelry line, Twine and Twig.
Twine and Twig necklaces are natural, organic, and eco-friendly. All of them are hand tied, hand stitched, hand branded, and made right here in Myers Park. Each necklace features their signature suede straps, just one of the many unique aspects of their designs. The materials White and Buckner use are naturally shed or found objects from all over – worldly pieces – sourced from Washington, Africa, The Philippines, Texas, Nepal, North Carolina and other destinations. The unusual but intriguing collection of bits used in their pieces include hand carved and hand painted bone, recycled glass beads, fish vertebrae, boars teeth, horse hair, turtle shells, and natural stones like quartz, coral and turquoise. These incredibly eclectic and truly different materials make for a completely unique style, in fact, every single necklace is one-of-a-kind.
These unexpected but beautiful materials, when combined with the suede strap and the handcrafted elements deliver an incredibly earthy, rich, and organic aesthetic. Originally, the sisters did not know how they would be received by the public, but when friends, family, and even strangers started tossing around compliments they thought they may be on to something. We were nervous that they were going to be so weird that people were going to say what is this but luckily it didnt go that way. Its funny because some people have a really natural style and our necklaces fit really well with that. Others wear them with Tory Burch and the preppier look but it works. It kind of works on everybody. Even grandmothers are wearing them. Weve had seventy-five year old women ask where they can get one. Its crazy, said Jacquelyn.
What started out as a simple show of gratitude from one appreciative sister to another has blossomed into a thriving business. Just four months ago, the sisters launched Twine and Twig by hosting a party at Elizabeths Myers Park home. They made two hundred necklaces for the party, with no expectations, and sold out in two hours. Since that inaugural day, they have designed and crafted over one thousand unique pieces a time consuming process that is far more difficult than people would ever imagine. People dont realize how intense it is to make these. My fingers have bled, weve burnt ourselves, the blisters on my hands are absolutely incredible, its almost embarrassing. Weve been working our butts off, but we havent gotten sick of it yet. Its hard work but its fun, said Elizabeth.
All the work has been more than worth it though. The two major lines they have created, Trail (comprised of antlers and horse hair tassels) and Shore (shells and sea urchin spine designs), are widely popular. Their necklaces can be found in over 30 (and growing) retail locations including Poole Shop, Sloan, and Doll in Charlotte. According to Elizabeth, We werent even going to sell in retail. We were just going to have a couple trunk shows every year. Now we ship all over, from everywhere from Marthas Vineyard to Ohio to Connecticut to South Florida. Its been four months and its been nuts.
Although both sisters prefer neutral tones they acknowledge the fact that lots of people love color. Their recently released line obliges, featuring turquoise pieces and is a hot seller. Soon, they plan on releasing new jewelry including necklaces made of turtle shells and coral, and both are highly anticipated.
With great attention to detail, a gung ho spirit, and crazy amounts of creativity, Elizabeth and Jacquelyn have built a growing brand that reflects their southern roots, emboldens their worldly travels, and makes for some of the finest and most unique necklaces you will ever find. You can learn more about Twine and Twig at www.twineandtwigstyle.com or if you would like a daily peek into the Twine & Twig life, they post a daily peek of new necklaces on Instagram: twineandtwigstyle.
