Robinson-based Sabika jewelry closing after 23 years

Endings create new beginnings.

That philosophy inspired Karin Mayr to launch Sabika, a Pittsburgh-based, woman-owned jewelry company.

For 23 years, the business has sold sparkling necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings through stylists who specialize in knowledge of the brand.

That beginning has now reached an end.

Mayr and her daughters, Alexandra Mayr-Gracik and Miriam Mayr, who are co-owners of the line, announced Sabika will be winding down its operations by the end of July.

“We all felt the time is right,” Karin Mayr said via email. “We will not simply close the door because we all feel tremendous gratitude and respect toward our employees and stylists and customers — and we will remain friends for years to come. “

It was a difficult decision, said Mayr-Gracik who is CEO and head designer. She said the employees, stylists and customers are truly the reason Sabika has sparkled for so long and will continue to shine because the jewelry will live on.

“Everyone we have worked with has a very personal Sabika story that I know they will carry with them wherever they go,” Mayr-Gracik said.

Courtesy of Natalie Morris

Karin Mayr (center) who founded Sabika, a Pittsburgh-based, woman-owned jewelry company in 2001, poses for a photo with her daughters, Miriam Mayr (left), who is executive director of sales and marketing, and Alexandra Mayr-Gracik, who is CEO and head designer. They announced Sabika will be winding down its operations by the end of July.

Sabika was based around a story concept, with a new collection each season that represented a color scheme or style while still complementing other pieces in the line. For stylist Tammy Funk of Upper St. Clair, her Sabika story began 22 years ago when she purchased a crystal angel pendant.

“An angel led me to Sabika,” Funk said. “It is said that we all have our angels. One of mine just happens to be this mesmerizing Sabika crystal angel pendant. I believe that angel was my Sabika destiny. Every time I wore it, compliments were plentiful. Best of all were those spoken by my loving grandma. I felt like this was my sign to be a part of Sabika. If my grandma were still here today, I know that she would be very proud of my success.”

When she heard Sabika was coming to an end, Funk said she cried.

“It was a shock,” Funk said. “I’ve made so many good friends through Sabika, and I believe the pieces will live on just like my angel pendant.”

Connecting women to beautiful jewelry is what inspired Karin Mayr to start the venture. It also was a way to provide income for her family and financial opportunities for other women as well.

A native of Austria, Karin Mayr met European jewelry designer Sabine who used Swarovski crystals in her collections. Karin Mayr created designs for the U.S. market and founded the business in 2001 when she was 50.

The name Sabika came from a combination of Sabine and Karin.

Sabika uses rare and unique components sourced across Europe. Female artisans throughout Austria and Germany craft each piece using sustainable and eco-conscious finishing methods. Sabika grew into a multimillion-dollar company, but the real value was seeing the impact the jewelry had on women, said Karin Mayr who also believed in giving back.

Since its inception, Sabika has raised more than $3.2 million for more than 1,500 charities.

“We have accomplished so much and created lasting impacts,” said Miriam Mayr, executive director of sales and marketing. “The next two months will be a celebration of our stylists, our customers and our community. We have a final chapter of this legacy to write, and I am honored to be a part of that.”

Sabika has had more than 5,300 stylists and paid out $44 million in commissions. The brand has more than 300,000 customers.

Stylist Melanie Crockard of Sewickley said the Sabika experience cannot be replicated.

“Sabika is so beloved and so iconic in Pittsburgh — like pierogies and Heinz ketchup,” said Crockard, who donated her commissions and any jewelry she earned to charity. “This is the end of an era. People are grieving the loss of Sabika because it is like a family. Karin inspired all of us.”

Hundreds of testimonials have been coming in from customers and stylists.

Jen Michelangelo of Uniontown wrote, “Sabika was more than just selling beautiful sparkles and earning money to me. It was about building relationships and networking and feeling this incredible sisterhood. … I have cried many tears since the announcement. … Sabika was magical.”

“I still cannot wrap my head and heart around it entirely,” Karin Mayr said. “They all describe how their customers have turned into true friends over the years. I believe that family is the most precious thing we have, if we respect and cherish and encourage each other to grow. I will be the ‘Sabika mom’ as long as I live.”

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Mayr-Gracik said the response has been overwhelming.

“You always wonder what an impact you have had on people,” she said. “Our mother has instilled in us that the only constant in life is change. She is our role model. It has been a process to get to this point of letting go, but we believe Sabika will live with us forever and the jewelry will live on forever.”

Karin Mayr said she understands that people want to know specifically why the business is closing.

“It would not be reflective of the reality and complexity of our business to point to one or even a few factors that led us to the decision to wind down our Sabika operations,” Karin Mayr said. “The decision was carefully considered. And as a closely held family business, we unanimously agreed this is the right time. We are so grateful to our loyal Sabika stylists and customers who helped create a beautiful legacy for 23 years and outpouring of love from the communities we have touched.”

They didn’t want to just close the doors without saying goodbye. The family shared a video on YouTube.

“It is important to us to celebrate,” said Mayr-Gracik, who became emotional talking about it. “And to shift from sadness to gratitude and the impact we’ve had. There is such magic in jewelry and watching women’s faces light up when they put it on. We hope to continue to see that joy out in the community. The bigger message is about female empowerment. Female leadership has been a part of our lifelong mission. I hope to take that with me to where the next chapter goes.”

Miriam Mayr said she will miss the platform of helping to make women feel beautiful and seeing images of women smiling and glowing and that impact will always remain with her.

“It is still to be determined what we do next,” Miriam Mayr said. “We will all take what we’ve learned and use that to write our next chapter. Like our mom says, ‘All new beginnings come from endings.’ ”