Cast Jewelry's First Brick-And-Mortar Boutique Shines Bright

Cast opens its first boutique. Let the colorful fun begin.

Rachel Skelly, co-founder of Cast (castjewelry.com), realizes that some jewelry-shopping experiences can feel a little stunted and, to some, intimidating. So, when she and Eric Ryan launched Cast last year, the duo wanted to inspire curiosity and discovery. Now that they’ve opened the brand’s first brick-and-mortar, a 500-square-foot space located at The Village in Marin County, fans of all things that sparkle will have the opportunity to touch and try on pieces that showcase heirloomquality design.

The decidedly different experience is obvious right away, as patrons are greeted with a beverage and given a product menu that reveals design details and pricing. We also love the boutique’s signature scent, created by women-founded 12.29 (1229scent.com). The shopping venture is a menagerie and, dare we say it, fun. We caught up with Skelly a week after the new boutique opened to get her take on the rise of Cast.

What was the inspiration for the boutique’s design?

We wanted to create a space that was warm, welcoming and explorative—almost a cozy boutique hotel lobby or bar-meets-art gallery. Some of my initial inspiration came from places that encourage discovery like children’s museums and art exhibits. We wanted elements that celebrate storytelling and foster a sense of wonder—all things that evoke that magical kid-in-a-candy-store feeling.

What do you hope patrons will experience when they visit Cast?

We want our guests to feel at home and inspired to linger, explore and try on jewelry to their heart’s content. Cast is a place that encourages play, and our stylists are here to help guests mix and match pieces, build on what they already own or get started with collecting their very first foundational pieces. We designed our boutique to engage all of the senses. The centerpiece capsule and artful displays throughout are designed to inspire curiosity, invite interaction and encourage a sense of discovery.

Let’s talk about the vibrancy of the new space. How did it emerge?

Cast is obviously a brand that celebrates color and pattern, as seen by our packaging. Joy and optimism are just in our DNA, so it was important for us to create a space that made people not only feel welcome but also creative and inspired. We wanted the boutique to radiate a sense of wonder that was truly reflective of our artful jewelry, and we knew that color and vibrancy would be a big part of that. We worked with Grow (grow-marketing.com), an independent women-owned and run agency right here in San Francisco. They did an amazing job bringing our vision to life.

Your big-picture mission?

We designed this store for you to play. Come and try on anything and everything. Our team of stylists are here to help. It’s a good day when we pull everything out of the cases—fine jewelry is meant to be worn and enjoyed. This is the first of many planned boutiques, so there’s more magic to come.