Shop Quiz! with Sennod Jewelry
Statement jewelry isn’t a trend—it’s a staple. While unique pieces are often hard to find, Sennod Jewelry owner Michele McKeon offers timeless, eye-catching designs inspired by her passion for art history. Below, McKeon shares how she has turned her love of the past into one-of-a-kind creations for the present. Keep reading for a Q&A with McKeon on how her business came to be.
Why did you open Sennod? And how has it grown or changed since then?
In 1999, I took a pearl lining class with my father to restring my grandmother’s pearls. After the initial class, I took a few more jewelry classes and fell in love with jewelry design. I like to say I didn’t find the career, but the career found me.
At the time, charms were very popular, and I wanted to figure out a convenient way to interchange charms from one necklace to another. I developed and designed my signature vignette holder. After this creation took off, I was able to make this my full-time career.
What are some of your best-selling pieces?
Vignette chains and vignettes are my signature designs/bestsellers. The vignette holder is a lock box that opens and closes, and you can interchange different charms. I coined the name “vignette” for these pieces. To me, a vignette is an individual display and each time you change your piece, you are changing your display, and it can change the whole look of the piece.
I graduated with a degree in history and have always had a love for art history, which influences many of my designs. I collect authentic Roman relics that are 2,000 years old, and I modify and cast them. It is a past-to-present collection that has timeless elements.
A lot of my designs are pieces that are one-of-a-kind or come in a very limited series. So, if you see something you love, buy it while you can. The very first vignette I ever created was the Coin Pearl Vignette, and it remains one of my most popular designs.
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Can you hint at what shoppers will see in Sennod next season?
The newest item is my vignette cluster, which is a cluster of many pieces, so it gives a new look to wearing a singular vignette. The new collection will also have new stone colors as well as silver items in the fall and spring as silver makes a comeback. I like to think that jewelry is not just an accessory but rather a statement of your individuality. Through my jewelry, I hope to give customers a way to express their individuality and uniqueness.
What is one thing people may be surprised to learn about your business?
Fun fact: The name Sennod is my maiden name backward. Donnes flipped makes Sennod. I founded Sennod in 2001, and after 23 years, I feel very blessed to continue to do what I love as a career year after year.
Where can you shop Sennod in Baton Rouge?
Red Onion is where to look for Sennod Jewelry in Baton Rouge. Red Onion will be having the first Sennod trunk show of the season on October 18 and 19. I have many of my pieces in shops throughout the South, but you can also shop on the website. The website is currently getting revamped, so check back at the end of October to see all of the new pieces.
