The Rev. Peggy Pugh remembers growing up in St. Paul’s Rondo neighborhood in the early 1970s, watching her mother dress for church in pearl necklaces and Avon makeup. But it wasn’t just the beauty of the women in Rondo that captivated Pugh – it was what she learned from her community and continues to carry with her, she said. “We were taught to have fun, we were taught to be respectful, we were taught to be proud of who we are and our culture and our skin color,” Pugh said. “We were expected to be leaders and to be sure that we treated people fairly.” Pugh, who now lives in South St. Paul, says she ministers anywhere, whenever she’s asked. “If someone calls, I’m there.” Peggy Pugh of South St. Paul launched her MLK Commemorative handmade beaded necklace and earring set in January 2025. The colors gold and purple represent strength, perseverance, leadership and nobility. (Courtesy of Jewels By Peggy LLC) She’s also an author, inspirational speaker and jewelry designer and owner of “Jewels By Peggy LLC.” What sets her business apart, she said, is that her pieces reflect cultural significance and carry on legacies. She recently launched two collections, the MLK Commemorative Jewelry set and the Black History Month set. Each collection features handmade, beaded necklaces and earrings created to honor Black history. “Whatever I make is going to sparkle,” Pugh said, then adding: “I make jewelry for men, too, and it don’t sparkle.” Pugh said she designed the Martin Luther King Jr. set with the color gold to represent strength and perseverance and purple for leadership and nobility. The Black History Month collection incorporates red for the blood shed by African communities in search of freedom, green representing the abundance of land and black for resiliency and beauty. “This jewelry allows us to celebrate in a bold and beautiful way,” Pugh said. In Pugh’s words, “jewelry knows no color or age,” and living in a 55-plus community has shown her just that. When a neighbor complimented Pugh’s necklace and asked to purchase one, she then told Pugh that her hands tremble, making her unable to fasten a typical necklace. Pugh was inspired to find a solution. “I make special-order jewelry sets for those that are physically challenged with their hands, so that all they have to do is put the necklace over their heads,” Pugh said. The collections are not meant only for those who identify as Black, Pugh said, but instead for anyone who wants to show their support of Black history as a part of American history. They also aren’t solely in celebration of MLK Day or Black History Month, Pugh said. Her jewelry was made to be passed down from generation to generation, carrying the legacies of the stories they embody, she said. Related Articles Arts | Whimsical St. Paul retailer Poppy to close last store Arts | 12 predictions for life in 2025 Arts | Lake Elmo woman’s online business, Cheerware, navigates new home, impending TikTok ban Arts | Need deals on electronics? St. Paul, Minneapolis refurb shops have them. Arts | Minnesota officials tout new law requiring refillable, reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging by 2032 “People may say that the Dr. Martin Luther King holiday is over, and my response to that is, ‘Yes it may be, but the celebration doesn’t end on that day; it goes on,’” Pugh said. “Welcome to a world where sparkle meets everyday elegance,” is Pugh’s tagline. In the future, she plans to create more collections that represent different cultural groups and celebrations like Hispanic Heritage Month, St. Patrick’s Day, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and more. “I have a difficult time seeing any group of people, I don’t care what group of people they are, who are seen collectively as something negative,” Pugh said. “So for me, a part of my life is to help teach people that we’re different, but different doesn’t mean divided.” Jewels By Peggy collections: The MLK Commemorative and Black History Month collections are available at jewelsbypeggyllc.myshopify.com for $50 each. They are limited edition and orders must be placed by Feb. 22.