Our Story

Hi, I'm Emily.

I started Jean Jean with a shoebox full of vintage jewelry and a pocket camera in 2010. I think I am hardwired to love rocks, artifacts, and shiny things. I spent time as a kid looking for fossils in my gravel driveway in Iowa (spoiler: I did not find many) and I studied archaeology in college. I spend a looootttt of time thinking about history, memory, and how objects manage to trickle through time and survive. Jean Jean jewelry is part of a bigger, centuries-old story of adornment, preservation, and joy!

After several years of e-commerce + raising little boys, I opened a tiny jewel-box of a shop in historic REO Town, Lansing in 2018. The 1939 Art Moderne building — complete with the original terrazzo floors, a giant geometric front window, and an ombré wall by Caroline Lizaragga! — is the perfect home for Jean Jean and its treasures. At Jean Jean we delight in hosting couples, families, and anyone interested in learning more about preserving and acquiring heirlooms. In addition to vintage and antiques, we stock a budding collection of house-designed and collaboration jewelry, perfect for gifting.

Our Skully and Cachet Collections, as well as many of our antique repairs and daily bench work, are done by Linsey White McLean. Linsey has been a part of the JJV team for almost ten years as our bench jeweler, shipping guru, and sales maven. She also makes me laugh. A lot. 

Shiny things aside, I believe that ANY small business can be a place of kinship, refuge, and learning for communities. I hope that you experience a spirit of generosity and care with us, whether you visit online or in person.

Follow along on Instagram (@jeanjeanvintage) to catch glimpses of our new acquisitions, upcoming sales, stories, and more.

JJV in the press:

CANVAS REBEL: Do you ever think about getting a “regular” job instead?

LANSING STATE JOURNAL: At Jean Jean Vintage in REO Town, jewelry is both art and artifact

FORBES: Jean Jean Vintage's Eclectic Mix of Antique and Vintage Jewelry

OUR STORY FEATURE: "OURstories” meet Emily Duffelmeyer of JJV

THE LOCAL MOM'S NETWORK: Meet a Mom: Emily Duffelmeyer of Jean Jean Vintage

THE MICHIGAN DAILY: From Etsy to brick-and-mortar, Emily Duffelmeyer discusses Jean Jean Vintage

PINHOLE PRESS: The Highs and Lows of Being a Boss Mom