Thanks, I Made It!: Introducing Mo.Na. Gems

Mia Dunn (left) and Mecca McDonald (right)

Thanks, I Made It!: Introducing Mo.Na. Gems, a new contemporary jewelry brand with an environmental twist

Mo.Na Gems is a jewelry company founded by Mecca McDonald and Mia Dunn, a powerful duo that decided to shoot their shot at a business idea. The said idea — biodegradable jewelry, made out of bioplastics to ensure the safety of Mother Earth made in trendy and fun shapes. If you ever are done with your earrings you could literally throw them in the ground and they would break down in the dirt, or you could just give them to a friend but the option is there. 

All Mecca and Mia want is for fashion to be more mindful. They said on their site, “One of our goals is to influence the world's perception of fashion and how what we buy impacts the earth, even after we die.” Fashion should be fun! It should also not cost people’s livelihood or the planet’s safety. And that’s why Mo.Na. Gems was started. 

We were curious about the brand and wanted to know how it all came together from the very beginning! Meet the founders of Mo.Na Gems and read more of their thoughts and ideas!

How did you come up with the idea for biodegradable jewelry?

Mo.Na. was born during Mecca and Mia's senior year at Johns Hopkins University. During quarantine, Mecca was spending a lot of time on Tik Tok and noticed that there was a resin trend. However, she also knew that resin was harmful both to the creator and the earth. She asked Mia, who was studying chemical engineering at the time to help her research different bioplastics to see if they could find an eco-friendly resin alternative. After several months of experimenting in their kitchen, they came up with a formula that was relatively durable, that also could biodegrade in a compost facility. They began selling their pilot product, biodegradable earrings, to the Johns Hopkins community, and now internationally! 

Where did the name Mona Gems come from?

"Mo.Na." stands for "Mother Nature" -- our designs are greatly inspired by beauty in nature. For example, we have designs that resemble fruits and our colors are vibrant and beautiful. So, we thought it would be fitting to name it after Mother Nature. 

What is your brand ethos?

At Mo.Na. Gems we value sustainability, creativity, and inclusivity. 

Sustainability: Our products are made from sustainable materials. Technically, all of our ingredients are edible, though we don't recommend it! Since our products are also all handmade by Mia, we know that we are using an ethical manufacturing process. 

Creativity: Mo.Na. would have never been born if we didn't think outside of the box. We are always thinking of other ways we can use our bioplastic for future purposes. 

Inclusivity: As a WOC-owned brand, we value collaborating and partnering with other WOC-owned brands. We hope to inspire women in STEM and women entrepreneurs. 

How did you feel about venturing into this idea?

In the beginning, Mecca and Mia thought this would be a fun side project to work on outside of classes. Experimenting to find a prototype was challenging, and discouraging at times. Mecca and Mia often found themselves frustrated but also motivated by their failures. After they finally found a prototype and started selling it, they realized it could be something more. Mo.Na. joined an accelerator program at Johns Hopkins and won $20,000 in grant funding. Mecca and Mia decided to continue pursuing Mo.Na. post-graduation and continue to build it today. In the beginning, it was scary, and they still find themselves stuck or confused at times, but building and growing something new is a learning process that is both challenging and rewarding! 

Where do you see Mona Gems going in the future and what are your goals for Mona Gems?

We hope that Mo.Na. continues to scale, and expand to other types of jewelry outside of earrings and necklaces. We hope to also offer household items and accessories from our bioplastic in the future. We would also like to make wearable art with our material, and have a fashion show that is made from 100% biodegradable materials!