By Emily Stegman

So, she went fishing.

"You never know what's going to hit, so you just cast your net as far and as wide as you can, and you never know," Mai says.

Au-Co Mai, CEO of Emitations, proudly displays a sampling of celebrity-inspired bling offered on her Web site. Browsers can take a break from perusing the company's inventory of rings, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, anklets and hair jewelry to catch up on celebrity gossip and the latest red carpet looks. Photo by Emily Stegman

Jewelry seemed to be the catch of the day after a fruitful experiment on eBay in 1999. Mai purchased a choker at a discount store for $7.50, started the online bidding at the same price and let it be for 10 days. The final bid: $65.

People started asking for more pieces just like it. Mai realized there was a demand and began asking key questions: "What is the market opportunity? Who is the customer? Why do they love this product, and how do I give them more of it?"

"Zoelle's Pink Elephant Cocktail Ring" features clear, gold and pink cubic zirconia stones over a rose gold he base, and a faux pearl on its trunk. Mai says serpents are also popular in jewelry and Emitations.com offers several other animal-inspired pieces in the "CZ Couture" section. Photo courtesy of Emitations

"I knew it needed to be a product that was light, that was relatively affordable, where the market hadn't been saturated by competition yet," she says. Jewelry was a perfect fit, and Emitations.com was in its start-up stages soon after.

Mai's idea was to fuse trends in the marketplace with media happenings. The 31-year-old CEO analyzed tons of consumer-related data until she got a good sense of what people wanted – a technique she continues to rigorously employ by subscribing to all sorts of magazines, tapping into Internet chat rooms and recording search patterns on her company Web site.

"It's a very different approach from being a designer or artist and creating what is inside of you, letting it out, and then seeing who comes," Mai says. "I'm not creative, I'm not gifted that way, so I do it the other way and listen to the momentum and try to pick up the patterns and then deliver based on that."

Emitations offers "affordable elegance" in the form of moderately priced jewelry pieces inspired by celebrity and designer looks. Mai describes it as a way of "getting the bling without the sting."

This sterling silver necklace was modeled after a piece worn by actress Eva Green in the most recent James Bond film, "Casino Royale." The "Algerian Love Knot Necklace" symbolizes joy, wealth and health, and is one of Emitations' most popular items. Photo courtesy of Emitations

Emitations has several media partnerships, is regularly featured in magazines such as People, Life & Style and Glamour, and was named one of the "Top 500 Fastest Growing E-Commerce Companies in America" by Internet Retailer in 2006. Not to mention, in 2006 Mai was featured in 944 Magazine as a Leading Lady of San Diego and nominated for the San Diego Business Journal's "Women Who Mean Business" awards.

The publicity and brand recognition wasn't always so abundant, Mai admits, saying the progression of her business has been "very slow and organic." The business operated out of her home for nearly four years, with staff members posted in the living room, kitchen and dining room, and inventory and packaging piled high in the garage.

"I loved those days. Those were bootstrap days – when just because you don't have the resources, doesn't mean you can't do it," Mai remembers fondly.

She stuck with it, even when her boyfriend (now husband) suggested she put Emitations on the back burner and focus on another dot-com. But, after a full day of work and school, Mai still found the time to nurture her online project.

"I'm definitely a big-time multitasker," Mai says. "My thing is, you never know what's going to materialize, so keep the things you're interested in close to you."

Mai plans to focus her energy on the progression of Emitations well into the future, and hopes the company can increase its brand recognition by maintaining relationships with the media, meeting customer expectations, keeping merchandise consistent with trends and increasing its sales channels.

These cubic zirconia studs from Emitations mimic the sapphire and diamond earrings actress Katie Holmes wore as she wed Hollywood icon Tom Cruise. Photo courtesy of Emitations

Staying involved in and connected to the gem and jewelry industry will also remain a priority for Mai, who is a board member for the San Diego Women's Jewelry Association and is in charge of designing programs, outlining speakers and maintaining the chapter's Web site.

Mai completed several courses in GIA's School of Business in 2003, including Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Retail Management, as well as Ethics and Law in 2005. She has been a speaker at multiple GIA Career Fairs and participated in a panel titled "The Great Internet Debate" at the Institute's 4th International Gemological Symposium last year.

"GIA is terrific because it's so supportive and you're surrounded by people who want to be creative, who want to have the courage to actually execute logistically," Mai says.

Career Fair is an especially rewarding event for Mai because she remembers what it felt like to be in the exact same position as many of the attendees. She enjoys the opportunity to share the unique perspective she has as a young, established woman in the online sector of the jewelry industry.

"I know there's someone who's going to be really interested in what I can tell them – someone who doesn't have as much experience, but has a wealth of creativity and energy to offer our industry, and those people need representation as well," she says.

The best advice Mai can give industry newbies is to find something they're passionate about and that they know they can be an expert in. "It can't be something general," Mai says. "You have to have an angle to some extent."

She says she didn't know how much work it was going to be to start her own business, but the time and effort paid off and she enjoys encouraging others to go after their goals.

"There's never a perfect story when it comes to establishing yourself or your business," Mai says. "And, it's not magic – people are doing it every day."