Permanent jewelry, such as the bracelets seen here, are a great option for making your pieces long-lasting. Photo: Chelsea Vadnais
Treasure your jewelry for the rest of your life.
Have you ever had a cherished piece of jewelry end up with a broken clasp? What about a treasured family heirloom, passed down for generations, that perhaps isn’t holding up as well as it once did? Permanent jewelry may be the answer to creating long-lasting pieces that won’t break or fall off.
“Permanent jewelry is basically a claspless bracelet, anklet, necklace or even a ring,” says Chelsea Vadnais. “It’s [created with] a welding machine. You connect the two ends of the jewelry you’re wearing with a jump ring, and you weld that piece together with the intention of never taking it off.”
The Woodbury resident offers permanent jewelry pop-ups, parties and more through her business, chelsea rae & co. Vadnais, who graduated from Woodbury High School in 2011, began the company after getting her own permanent jewelry on a family trip to Arizona two years ago. After the trip ended, she wondered why there weren’t options for permanent jewelry in Minnesota.
“When I first started out, I wanted to get into it right away. I did a pop-up event at my salon,” she says, noting that she is a full-time hairstylist at Chelsea Rae Vadnais Hair, located in Chez Chevaux Studio Salon in Woodbury. Now, Vadnais offers permanent jewelry for bachelorette or birthday parties, girls’ nights and more. She can also be found at art festivals and local community events, such as Woodbury Days or the Washington County Fair.
Vadnais welds all types of jewelry, though bracelets and anklets are the most popular. Options include gold-fill and gold-fill premium, sterling silver and sterling silver premium, as well as charm additions, such as birthstones, initials and crosses. The process takes anywhere from 15 minutes to one hour, depending on the type of jewelry and customizations requested.
“It’s for anyone: Men, women, best friends, mother and daughter,” Vadnais says. “It’s really popular among friends, and getting something matching is so fun.”
Vadnais can even take a piece of your own jewelry and make it permanent. She recalls a client who had a beloved anklet that broke. “The thing with anklets with a regular clasp is that it can stretch out and break,” Vadnais says. “She could feel that it was stretching … She asked if I could make it permanent … It’s super awesome, especially if a piece of jewelry is important to you.”
Vadnais answers a popular question: What happens if you need to remove the jewelry for an MRI, CT scan or another emergency? Vadnais says it can be cut off at the jump ring site, then placed into a bag to get rewelded on at a later date.
“When I first got [permanent jewelry], I fell in love with it,” Vadnais says. “Putting a bracelet on, even if you’re not fully ready, makes you feel more ready. It makes you feel good.”
Instagram: @chelsearaeco
