By: Morgan Topol
Growing up, UNC student Eva Moyer collected blown glass animals from St. Petersburg, Russia when she would visit the Raleigh Flea Market with her father.
This year, she gave the charms a new purpose: transforming them into one-of-a-kind necklaces.
Moyer decided to start her business, Glass Jungle, in June after being inspired by other small businesses launching during quarantine. But her entrepreneurial adventures truly began long before that.Â
As a child, Moyer leapt at opportunities to create and sell, so much so that her parents became annoyed by how many times she asked to sell lemonade in the front yard.
“When I discovered people would actually stop their cars to buy things, I started selling any other things I could come up with,” she said.
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Moyer began making jewelry in high school, and at UNC she learned how to convert the portfolio website she’d made for a journalism class into a selling platform. After learning from her entrepreneurship minor that successful businesses focus on selling one product, she decided to stick with jewelry.
The delicate glass animals Moyer uses to make her necklaces are around three centimeters in length. Moyer converts them into sellable pendants using chains, wires and strong glue.
Given that all of the glass animals come from Moyer’s flea market collection, there is currently only one of every animal. But she’s found a store in Russia she can order more charms from if any of her customers have a special request.
Aside from the glass animal necklaces, Moyer also sells a variety of costume jewelry pieces on Glass Jungle, collected and given to her by her grandmother. She also has a few choker necklaces that she made in high school available on the website.
Although she occasionally gets discouraged by a periodic lack of sales or by comparing herself to other small businesses at UNC, Moyer enjoys every part of running a business.
“From website creation, social media marketing, creating products, to shipping them out, it all brings me joy,” Moyer said. “The best part about it is when I get a sale. It’s a special feeling of success and excitement.”
She credits her friends for being her biggest supporters, both by sharing her content and purchasing jewelry for themselves. No matter where Moyer’s future takes her, she said her business will always be a side hobby that both teaches her and brings her happiness.Â
“I feel like I’ve taught myself so many new skills throughout setting up Glass Jungle,” Moyer said. “All the skills I’m learning on my own will help me out in any career I want to pursue.”
You can check out Moyer’s jewelry and learn more about Glass Jungle online at https://www.evamoyer.com/.
