Hi there! I’m Marci Bailey, Creative Director, and CEO of Marcilla Bailey.
After spending over 17 years in the jewelry industry and spending a lifetime living in a jewel-obsessed state, I founded Marcilla Bailey to share my passion for jewelry and gems with the world!
Let's Start at the Beginning
From an early age, my parents instilled in me an entrepreneurial spirit that lives in me to this day. They worked long days and nights at their art business in Seattle, putting everything they had into their work and their family. They always preached the importance of making a career out of the things you love and inspired me to find a career I was passionate about.
My parents lived a nomadic, international life and my dad traveled the world for work. He always brought back captivating jewelry and fascinating jewels for my mom. I was always intrigued and mesmerized by them and over time my appreciation for jewelry grew, but I never considered a career in jewelry.
The summer after my 12th-grade year I ended up sitting next to a woman on the DC metro who would change my life forever.
She was lost in thought, editing a jewelry design on graph paper and I couldn’t look away. I mustered the courage to ask what she was working on and if the design was for her. She said “well no, it’s for a client” and I said, “Oh! Is this your job?” I pressed her for more and more information and finally asked her how I could start a career in jewelry designing. She said I would need to go to GIA and I said ok. I had no idea what she was talking about. No idea. I didn’t even ask what GIA was. I just knew I had to go.
I got off the metro and went straight to meet my parents. As soon as I saw them I said “I know what I want to do! I want to go to GIA!” They said “Great! What’s that?” and I said, “I don’t know!” In hindsight, I probably should have done a quick google search first. This was before smartphones!
My parents always encouraged me to find my passion and then determine how to create a career out of it, rather than going straight to college after high school, but even they had their reservations. While supportive, my parents were not immediately sold on me attending a school I knew nothing about to study jewelry. They encouraged me to get my business degree before going to school for gemology at GIA; So I did. I lived at home, I worked at my parent’s office to make a living, and I did crazy amounts of credits to get through my business degree as quickly as I could. After finishing my business degree I finally started at GIA in October of 2002.
GIA was amazing. I learned how to design jewelry, fell in love with the jewelry industry, and met all kinds of people, including my husband, Trey. I ordered meatloaf on our first date, promptly contracted food poisoning, and threw up in his bathroom for hours. Long story short, he didn’t mind, we quickly fell in love, and in 2004 we got married.
Our Bailey's adventure began in Greenville, North Carolina.
Shortly after, in August of 2004, Trey and I were both living in New Orleans working at Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry. We loved working with clients and learning all we could about the jewelry business, but Bailey’s Fine Jewelry brought us back to North Carolina sooner than we planned. Bailey’s, my husband’s family business, means the world to us. His grandparents started it in Rocky Mount, NC in 1948 and ever since then, every generation in his family has given it all the hard work, dedication, and passion they had. Our Bailey’s adventure began in Greenville, North Carolina.
We packed everything we owned and drove to North Carolina. When we finally arrived, we were exhausted, but we went to visit the Bailey’s Greenville store anyway. We were anxious to familiarize ourselves with the store that we would be calling home and get acquainted with our new coworkers. That night, a security camera was stolen from the store and instead of shaking hands and settling in, we did a full-store inventory check until 2 am. It was clear we had our work cut out for us.
Trey and I jumped into our new roles and we did everything. Soup to nuts. I did all the bookkeeping, took in repairs, handled vendor communications, cleaned toilets, balanced the cash drawer, and of course, sold jewelry. It was a busy time and we worked hard, but it gave me a greater appreciation for what it takes to run a retail jewelry store. It also gave me a better appreciation for Bailey’s in general. I loved the people I worked with and being a part of our family business.
Our Next Project
Shortly after Trey and I found our place in the Greenville store, our attention turned to Bailey’s newest project. Franchised Pandora Stores. Trey and I helped open and operate Pandora stores from 2012 to 2017. Pandora gave customers a completely different retail experience than Bailey’s and as one of the first Pandora franchisers, there was no playbook on how to run the store or purchase merchandise. We set up and ran the franchises and dove into the world of national advertising and e-commerce. It opened our eyes to a completely new way of selling jewelry and it got me thinking about retail differently.
However, my curiosity was put on hold after the birth of my first child, Weatherly. A few years after Weatherly was born, I gave birth to my son Ford and then my youngest, Windsor, or Winne for short. I always dreamed of being a mom and I put everything I had into my family. From 2012 to 2019 my focus was raising my children. While I was still present in the business and helped where I could, I gave myself 100% to my kiddos and I’m so glad I did.
My curiosity was reignited, and I wanted more.
As our kids grew older and started school, I was ready to take on more at Bailey’s. Trey and I would soon take over the business as its third-generation owners, and the company needed a fresh perspective. After a few years of convincing, Trey persuaded me to get involved with Bailey’s social media. I shot pictures, filmed videos, shared my favorite pieces, and chatted with thousands and thousands of clients online. I started sharing my jewelry knowledge and styling tips and soon attracted a tribe of jewelry lovers. My curiosity was reignited, and I wanted more.
I longed to expand my passion for jewelry beyond the walls of our brick-and-mortar store. I felt I could communicate my knowledge, expertise, and passion more clearly and broadly with a digitally native brand so I created Marcilla Bailey to broadcast my love for diamonds, gems, and jewelry to the world. I dreamed up a unique, interactive, and educational jewelry brand that would guide women through their jewelry journey and made it a reality.
I can't wait to make your jewelry dreams come true.
My genius work, or my area of strength, is having an expert understanding of jewelry. I have the technical knowledge, but I also know jewelry is more than metal and stone. I understand the bond and connection people make with their jewelry. I know how emotional jewelry can be and how it becomes an extension of our lives and our personalities. This led me to create a space exclusively devoted to helping clients tell their stories through jewelry. Whether someone is starting their first job and looking for jewelry staples, getting engaged, or celebrating a milestone, the Marcilla Bailey team will work with clients to help them find a piece that tells their story.
In summary, I love helping women express themselves through jewelry. I love showing someone how to style antique jewelry in new and unexpected ways. I adore giving new life to old treasures. I love the way a diamond ring can tell a love story. I dig the way the perfect necklace transforms an outfit. I love finding and creating jewelry my clients connect with, and through Marcilla Bailey I get to do just that. This is my passion project, my life’s work, and I can’t wait to make your jewelry dreams come true.
