Rebel Nell: A Jewelry Venture with a Mission

July 25, 2024

Rebel Nell is a certified woman-owned jewelry boutique in Detroit named after the fearless American first lady Eleanor Roosevelt. CEO and former lawyer Amy Peterson founded the venture in 2013 after years working with the Detroit Tigers. During this time, Peterson lived near a women’s shelter, which served as a catalyst moment for her to create a mission-minded company that supported her local community.

Rebel Nell empowers women with employable skills and gives them renewed hope for a new life. They “seek to embolden women, embrace their infinite strength and define their own future.” Women who go through their two-year work/study program can work and gain skills in various areas, including financial wellness, legal aid, housing and career education.

The numbers speak for themselves: investing in people is a powerful way to uplift and inspire them, as well as support their future success. A total of 43 of women have been hired from shelters since the program launched over ten years ago and 36 graduates have entered the traditional workforce. As Peterson says, “The beauty in our jewelry is as important as the mission behind our craft.”

Transforming fallen graffiti into unique jewelry pieces

Rebel Nell transforms fallen graffiti flakes from Detroit alleyways into super unique wearable jewelry. Their process of crafting jewelry reflects a very distinctive art. The graffiti itself is harvested only after it has fallen. Each designer also imparts part of their own story to the piece, ensuring exclusivity. True to their motto, “One of No Other Kind,” Rebel Nell’s products are truly custom pieces that allow buyers to “preserve memories” and literally wear a souvenir of Detroit.

Rebel Nell carries a wide assortment of gold and silver necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings to please any gem palette. The company features women’s, men’s, kid’s and gender neutral product lines. Additionally, there are over 15 collections, highlighting sentiments such as love, power, pride, conquering and confidence. Individuals can even purchase accessories such as coasters, drink picks, keychains and pet tags. Rebel Nell features locally sourced pieces in their Detroit collection. The company recently debuted its Detroit Zoo collection, featuring graffiti from the Detroit Zoo water tower “Parade of Animals” mural.

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Community partnerships

Rebel Nell teams up with several organizations and institutions: sports teams, artists, colleges and universities and historic buildings. Each collaboration preserves mementos in a different way. For example, the limited-edition Detroit Lions collection repurposes Lions’ players’ jackets into jewelry pieces; the Lady Pink line harvests parts of vibrant murals, and the University of Michigan collaboration crafts pieces from U of M’s own campus rock. They also partner with youth groups, Boys & Girls Clubs, girl scout troops, and more, to offer arts experiences and entrepreneurial exercises via the Young Rebels program.

Design your own jewelry and more

Modern-day society values experiences: a way to enliven memories with loved ones. Rebel Nell has kept up with this trend by offering customers activity-based events for all ages.

Several options are available: Design Your Own Jewelry, Mural Making, Permanent Jewelry Party and even Private Shopping. Parents can also book a Young Rebels birthday party package for rising jewelry enthusiasts.

What’s next?

So, what’s next for this innovative jewelry shop? Peterson says that their “focus and mission is always to continue to grow and provide more jobs and opportunities…” They hope to expand their footprint in the metro Detroit area and have plans to open an office at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport later this summer. As their namesake, Eleanor Roosevelt, was quoted, “For our success to be real, it must contribute to the success of others.” With its significant impact thus far, Rebel Nell is certainly poised to thrive.

Rebel Nell currently has two locations: 1435 Farmer St. in Parker’s Aly Detroit, MI 48202 & 1314 Holden Street Detroit, MI 48202. For more details, call 313-288-8825 or visit their website at rebelnell.com