Welcome to ON BEAUTY, a monthly feature highlighting creative, like-minded people who inspire us.

Meg Strachan, founder of Dorsey, is all about doing things differently when it comes to jewelry. Her Los Angeles-based brand is keen on using lab-grown gemstones, ethically made stones with the same molecular structure as their mined counterparts. Why? They’re beautiful, yet affordable.
 
Here, Meg shares her unique approach to design, why she covets lab-grown gemstones, and her ultimate inspiration for crafting new pieces.

What was the impetus to launch Dorsey?
My grandmother, Dorsey, was a jewelry collector. From when I was about 9-years-old, she taught me everything I know about jewelry. I saw a vacancy in the market for lab-grown jewelry that wasn’t rooted in bridal jewelry (meaning engagement rings). When I decided to start the business, it felt like the right moment in time to bring education to a new kind of stone, but with craftsmanship details, I’ve loved since I was young. 
 
What was Dorsey’s style like and how does it mirror your aesthetic and what you create?
Dorsey was a vintage collector, and although she had a few mined diamond pieces, she wore more CZ costume jewelry she bought and kept from every era. Jewelry wasn’t her add on, it was a part of her identity, and she cared deeply about craftsmanship and clasps. Her costume jewelry pieces looked more like fine jewelry—it was all in perfect condition. Later in life, she could really wear and buy anything she wanted, but mostly wore costume pieces. How a piece felt was important to her. The price of it was not.
 
Fast forward to today, Dorsey is a lab-grown gemstone company creating heritage-inspired pieces at an attainable price point with the same impeccable craftsmanship as fine jewelry.
 
What sort of feeling does jewelry evoke for you?
Jewelry has always been rooted in identity. Dorsey, my grandmother, really rooted what she wore and how she wore it in her jewelry. 
 
Why lab-grown gemstones and how did you first learn about them and their quality?
Lab-grown gemstones are ethically made stones with the same molecular structure as their mined counterparts. However, they’re much less expensive, and the affordability of them allows me to create beautiful jewelry that more people can afford. 
 
Is there a sustainability factor to lab-grown gemstones? What makes them ethical?
Mined diamonds are made under heat and pressure in the earth, while lab-grown diamonds are made under heat and pressure in a lab. Lab-grown diamonds remove the human factor often present in mining diamonds. The mined diamond industry has a very checkered history that precedes it today. 
 
So often, a rivere-style necklace is saved for a special occasion, but you have a great eye for pairing it with a pair of simple jeans and a top. Was the casualness always part of the plan? How do you hope your client wears your pieces?
The diamond riviere necklace and tennis bracelets have always been some of the most polarizing jewelry that people wear. Our brand ethos is to dress them down. Most of us aren’t wearing them dressed up post-pandemic. We’re in our jeans and a t-shirt, maybe a great blazer, with a stacked riviere necklace or one single strand. It looks great on everyone. Post covid, I think we’re ready to stop saving special things we have. We’re ready to live in them. 
 
What’s next for Dorsey? 
We’re growing and expanding so quickly. Right now, we’re focused on growing the business and moving into new markets. 
 
Favorite scent?
I don’t wear any scent. What should I try?
 
Do you have any tips for long-haul flights? 
I really hate flying, and I really don’t enjoy airport food, so I tend to bring my own tea bags and my own travel food. Also, a great moisturizer and my headphones. I have a lot of anxiety and it tends to come out when I fly. So I usually try to watch a movie or work my way through the flight. 
 
Favorite beauty food?
Matcha. It tastes terrible, but it’s brought down the redness in my skin. 
 
Do you have any vices?
Tequila. 
 

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