Guyanese sisters build unique jewellery brand “Fleur” inspired by nature

To create your own path, it is important that the product being showcased along that journey is diverse before the path is even formed. This was the mindset formed by two sisters, Analise Samaroo and Joy Samaroo, who are the business owners behind a venture that combines their skills to create a distinct style of beauty in their products. One of the businesses formed by this duo is Fleur.
It was established in November of last year and “Fleur” means “flower” in French. Speaking with this publication, one of the sisters, Analise, shared that the business was inspired by her mother’s love for orchids and plants, as well as her sister’s desire to preserve flowers instead of allowing them to go to waste after blooming.

According to Analise, her sister is the creative force behind the venture and was responsible for starting both businesses, while she now assists with managing operations and creating the jewellery pieces. She further explained that the flowers are preserved using ultraviolet (UV) resin through a detailed process. The flowers are first collected and dried in silica sand before being cleaned and coated with UV resin. After the resin has dried, the preserved flowers are attached to jewellery pieces to create the finished products. “It’s easier sometimes to go along with what you know, but sometimes you have to step out and try to find a gap in the market, find something that isn’t being done that can be done, that you can make some sort of impact in, which what we did, especially with the sea glass…it is Guyanese. It’s from Guyana and above all, it’s a risk that we took, so if you have the chance, if you have the opportunity, put your foot out there and see if it works and build on it,” she said seamlessly inspiring future business owners. The partnership, she said, is defined not by both of them carrying out the same duties, but by each assuming distinct roles that help transform their shared vision into reality. “We really did put her brains behind both these businesses, and I come in as the accounting lady. I handle the money; I handle the books. And only recently, she taught me how to make the jewellery so that when [my sister] is out we wouldn’t shut everything down.”

“In life, you have to do what you’re good at, do what you like. And there will be differences when you’re working with people, of course. But there has to be some sort of compromise. You have to find a workaround. You don’t need to go up the road all the time. But at the end, you want what’s best for the business. You have to put your personal grievances aside and come to some agreement on what works best for the business, for your customers, and for your name, essentially.”
Their products are sold at locations such as Collage on Sheriff Street and the Stash Store on Salt Road. They operate through a shelf-renting model. Under this system, they pay a monthly rental fee for shelf space, where they display their products. Customers are able to visit the stores, view the items available, and make purchases directly from the shelves. This arrangement also allows for pick-up and drop-off services and has proven to be highly convenient for the vendors, as it eliminates the need to manage a full-time storefront or employ staff to remain on site.

Sea glass jewels
The action does not stop there; it is also reflected in the way Analise’s younger sister honed her skills to create sea glass jewels.
According to Analise, as children they would often pick up pieces of glass, eventually collecting a large amount in a jar with no initial use for them, which later inspired the jewellery-making process. “First it just started off as a was a hobby, and then it became a business because we realised that people quite liked what we were making, and we could improve on it. So that’s what we did. We sourced most of our glass from Guyana, from local beaches around town. That’s how we started, with necklaces and earrings, and we try to incorporate bits and pieces of Guyana.” She explained that some of the jewellery pieces incorporate seeds from native Guyanese trees, along with small beadwork sourced locally. She added that in the early stages of the business, some designs also included pieces of wood as part of the craftwork. However, she emphasised that the main requirement for each piece is the use of glass. She noted that the business originally began in 2020, during the COVID-19 period, when they started crafting and operating on a small scale. Their first market appearance was either in 2020 or 2021.

Future
Their eyes are set on the future, with plans for the expansion of their businesses.
“I feel like we’ve made our mistakes in the past. We know what products were not purchased from Amazon or elsewhere. So now that we’re certified and registered, and now that we have the experience from the past with the things we did wrong, we can step out really well with a product that can stand on its own. People can expect to see from us in the future much better quality than what we started with, much more unique designs, and hopefully something that really does reflect Guyana a little more.”

“It’s easier sometimes to go along with what you know, but sometimes you have to step out and try to find a gap in the market, find something that isn’t being done that can be done, that you can make some sort of impact in, which what we did, especially with the sea glass…it is Guyanese. It’s from Guyana and above all, it’s a risk that we took, so if you have the chance, if you have the opportunity, put your foot out there and see if it works and build on it” – young entrepreneur, Analise Samaroo