siness Cousins say the jewelry they sell is magical. •• • • • • • •• • • • • • • • ■ • • • • • • • • • • o • • • • • • • arm To e twiro, 4111 • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • SUZANNE CHESSLER PHOTO BY GLENN Tfl I EST SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS Stephanie Zaft and Judy Rosen. usan Richards has worn a Star of David for many years. Last year, she began wear- ing an amulet as well. The star is to let people know she is proud to be Jewish. The amulet is worn hi hopes it will help bring her health and vitality. Diagnosed with breast cancer and fac- ing surgery and chemotherapy, Ms. Richards was given the charm by two close friends. "I went through a mastectomy and chemo, and I'm doing wonderfully," Ms. Richards said. "The amulet gave me a little more to think about and believe in and seemed to give me energy. Perhaps the good feeling came from both the amulet and believing in the amulet." Ms. Richards decided she wanted to share her sense of well-being by giving away other kinds of trinkets purported to channel mag- ical powers. She bought one for her broth- er-in-law to bring him success in a new business and another for a son to bring him success in school. Ms. Richards got her pieces of jewelry — the gift for herself and the gifts for others — from Stephanie Zaft and Judy Rosen, whose business is S & J Mystical Creations in Southfield. The partners are importers, wholesalers and distributors of copper and brass amulets, talismans and other jewelry sold with the claim they can empower people along very specific paths. Sellers maintain that the magic comes from the way the designs are made and a rit- ual that transfers positive energy between the jewelry and the wearer and forms a link with cosmic forces. Amulets are sold as ways to give protec- tion, while talismans are sold as ways to achieve specific purposes such as surmount- ing obstacles, developing intellect and pro- viding happy events. They are commonly made into necklaces or simply carried in pock- ets. Ms. Zaft and Ms. Rosen, who maintain that variations of these kinds of objects are part of mystical Judaism going back thousands of years, quote retail prices ranging from $15 to $30. The two cousins say they invested in what they term self-empowerment jewelry for themselves before they invested in the busi- ness of self-empowerment jewelry. , "I was the type of person who never had ambition," Ms. Zaft said. "I was always wan- dering, going from one career to another. When I discovered the talisman for fulfilling ambitions and achieving success, I started wearing it. "I started the business wearing it and felt ambitious and driven. That's why I say these really work on the people wearing them. They're actually internalizing the messages, maybe in their psyche. "Whatever way they work, they are really magical, making people do what they need to do in life." The women became interested in the charms during a trip to England in the sum- mer of 1992. Ms. Zaft, who had been explor- ing mystical theories and was reading tarot cards, was looking for a shop that carried items associated with her way of thinking. "We went to a New Age store, and the first thing we saw were the talismans," said Ms. Rosen, who was drawn to a charm that was to be worn for success in work and trade. "I felt that if I, as an average person, was at- tracted to them, they might just sell in Amer- ica." After the women purchased the jewelry for themselves, they asked for the name and ad- dress of the firm that sold the line. When they returned to America, they made their con- tact and negotiated to be the exclusive U.S. sellers of the crafted-in-Poland items. With a $1,400 joint investment, the women began testing the market in October of 1992 while working out of a home office. Their ear- ly customers were people who operated New Age stores, which appeal to individuals who believe in magical, metaphysical and occult forces. While Ms. Rosen continued working for an insurance company, Ms. Zaft left her mani- curist job to devote herself full-time to mar- keting the products. "It took us 14 months to build the busi- ness," Ms, Zaft said. "In March of 1993, I was able to sell to a chain of stores out West. I went there, and I got the account. Judy got a chain of stores in New York working by phone." As a marketing tool, the two use a book that lists close to 4,000 New Age stores across the United States —New Marketing Oppor- tunities. They advertised in New Age Retail- er magazine. In January of this year, the partners opened their Southfield office, devoting them- selves full time to getting their firm off the ground. During the first six months of 1994, they reported gross sales amounting to $45,000, which was what they reported for the previous 12 months. What they consider a big triumph is their inclusion in a mail- order catalogue — Win- ners. Locally, they sell to Barbara's Art Cen- ter in the Orchard Mall. The partners think it is important to look for new products to offer and soon will pro- mote Sibyls, charms designed and made in England and marketed as giving self-em- powerment to women. "We are not selling miracles," Ms. Rosen asserted. "We are saying that people need to believe." ❑