Heather Morris and Shauna Schultz meant the world to each other. Morris could have never imagined being separated from her “ride-or-die” friend.
So when Schultz, a Lake Highlands mother and teacher, died from non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2022, Morris knew she wanted to do something to keep her spirit and their memories linked in her heart forever.
That’s when she launched her permanent jewlery company, Eternally Linked, to honor her “ray of sunshine” and give others the gift of lasting memories.
What inspired you to create Eternally Linked?
My good friend Shauna Schultz used to be a teacher at Lake Highlands Elementary. She passed away from cancer last year. When someone passes away, there are always a few months of grieving and after that, it’s like the person gets forgotten.
I went to the Chi Omega Market, and I saw another permanent jewelry business that’s based in Fort Worth. I knew there wasn’t anything like this in Lake Highlands. I was like, “What is this? I’ve seen it once before.” I wear jewelry all the time, but being a preschool teacher, it’s kind of hard to keep jewelry on. Kids like to yank and pull. I saw it, and I was like, “Oh, that’s a really cute idea.” And then when Shauna passed, I knew that this would be amazing. I wanted to start something to help others create those lasting memories.
Every time I did a bracelet, an anklet or a necklace on somebody, I remember Shauna, a teacher here in Lake Highlands who changed so many lives. I tell her story to all of my customers. I didn’t want her to be forgotten.
Why the name “Eternally Linked”?
I kind of went back and forth for a while on different names. I knew I wanted to incorporate the infinity sign in it. When you weld the two pieces together, it creates an eternal situation. You become “eternally linked.” I sat on it for a while, and I just kept coming back to it. It was just something that meant forever to me.
The Eternally Linked logo has a special meaning. What does it mean to you?
If you look at it closely, our logo is broken on both sides. The sides represent the two S’s in Shauna’s name. The logo is also purple, which is Shauna’s favorite color. Just being able to connect those pieces of her name and favorite things to remember her forever being in our hearts was kind of how the logo stuck.
What products do you offer? What is the process like?
I offer necklaces, anklets, bracelets and even rings. If somebody has a wedding ring, and they want to add a band to it or not wear their big diamond ring all the time, they can wear this one. My products come in gold, sterling silver and stainless steel. I added stainless steel in because I had a gentleman who was like, “I’d love to get one but those are too small for me,” and I was like, “You know what, you’re right.” They have been a hit ever since.
The process is pretty simple. A customer will pick their chain, and I will size it on them. The longest part of the process is deciding on what chain because we have so many options. People can’t just pick one. They end up getting two or three items by the time I am done sizing them. I weld the two pieces of metal together, connected by a jump ring, with the smallest spark that comes out of a machine. The customer agrees to the sizing, I place it on them, and a few zaps later, it’s done.
What do you hope others gain from Eternally Linked?
Memories. A mom who was turning 40 came to me to celebrate her birthday with some friends. For them, it was about the memories. I saw them a couple of weeks later. She said that they would never forget the conversations they had and picking out matching bracelets and necklaces together. I was able to give them a memory that they’ll never forget.
Eternally Linked, shopeternallylinked.square.site
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
