Saman Peyman has loved jewelry for as long as she can remember. Her childhood years were spent doing the same thing she’s doing now: making and selling jewelry. The Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) sophomore and theatre student re-sparked her passion with the launch of her own brand, Solace Jewelry.

Coming to New York from California, Peyman quickly became immersed in the Fordham Theatre community, working on shows and classes and keeping up with friends. She described the space as sacred: “It always gets messy when you use your emotions, so in a way, there is always a part of you that’s in the theater.”

Now, with classes being online, that experience has changed. Creating a makeshift theater inside of her bedroom meshed her personal life with her art. Jewelry-making has been a way for her to maintain creativity without feeling like her space needs to be dedicated to her personal life or acting.

Sustainability and Style

“That’s really what solace is; it’s something tangible, to hold and it can be a source of comfort. It is something that you can kind of tie to your own identity.” Saman Peyman, FCLC ’23

Peyman named her brand after one of the meanings of her name, stemming from her Persian heritage. She explained that she wanted her jewelry to have meaning past the physical object. “That’s really what solace is; it’s something tangible, to hold and it can be a source of comfort,” she said. “It is something that you can kind of tie to your own identity.”

When creating the brand, Peyman wanted to focus on sustainability: “One of the most significant concerns I have in the world is the environment. A goal of mine is to become more active in reversing the damage humans have had on the world.”

She has constantly remained aware of how capitalism leads to overconsumption, especially within the fashion industry. 

So far, Peyman has stuck to making customized necklaces with beads that are upcycled or thrifted. In addition to the beads, she adds her own freshwater pearls that her mother gave her. She also upcycles old jewelry that she no longer wears and encourages her customers to reach out to her and do the same.

“Because I use a lot of freshwater pearls, it can be a bit more pricey than the college student’s budget,” she said. She emphasized that people can come to her with ideas, price ranges, and old jewelry or beads. “If something is too expensive for someone and they want fewer pearls or different beads, I am super open to collaborating to create something together.”

Besides the designs that she has listed on her Instagram, she also works with people on commissions and custom pieces. Each necklace on her Instagram has meaning and is completely unique. Peyman rarely copies something that she’s done in the past, believing the process is uniquely personal to the customer.

Cultural Identity of Solace

For her, jewelry has been more than a way to earn money as a busy student; it has also created connections and maintained relationships with friends and family.

Peyman fondly remembers her childhood self as a girl who was already a businesswoman. She attributed this drive to her cultural heritage and her mother who always helped and invested in her from the start. 

She remarked that part of her cultural identity is being generous. Taarof, she explained, is a Persian tradition that practices civility and manners. “You’re constantly offering: offering food, fighting to pay the bill, just a constant cycle of exchange and offer.” It is a behavior that emphasizes the importance of friendship and taking care of one another. 

This sense of identity tied with her personal love language, gift-giving, drove her to create jewelry that made people feel special. For her, jewelry has been more than a way to earn money as a busy student; it has also created connections and maintained relationships with friends and family. The people in her life have been the biggest supporters of Peyman’s jewelry dreams since she started at nine years old.

She mentioned that even a childhood friend reached out to her to commission a piece. “The last time I saw her I was probably 10 years old, so I was really surprised and happy I got to go see her and grab a coffee.”

Juggling a Business as a Student

Since Peyman is an acting student in the theatre program, her schedule differs from the average college student. A regular nine-to-five job would not cater to the long hours that she spends in rehearsals after classes. She found that working freelance on commissions in her spare time was a way for her to keep working despite her already full schedule.

Besides pursuing an acting degree, Peyman is also starting to work on a marketing minor. Though she has only taken a few classes, she has already found that her business has helped her in class, and her class has helped with her business. 

Most of her marketing experience has come from social media, where she has observed how other brands use the platform and applied it to her own. She’s also trusted herself in the process and asked what she would want from Solace if she was the one buying her pieces.

The Future of Solace

As of right now, Peyman mostly has chokers on her page, since they are her favorite to make and wear. She aims for the chokers to be delicate and elegant, but as her business grows, she plans to test out different styles. She’s tried Y2K (the year 2000) styles as well, but she said that she remains open to trying any style that people prefer. 

On April 5, she will be releasing a new set of styles. Customers can look out for chokers and bracelets, all of varying aesthetics. She hopes to expand from working with beads and moving onto chains in the future. Either way, she hopes her pieces bring everyone a little solace.