Meet Kristine Jones of Priceless Jewels in Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristine Jones.

Kristine, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today. 
I grew up in College Park, GA, and saw it go from a two-lane road to what it is today. I come from an African American Father and a German mother, who died when I was 11. Living in a domestic violent home as a kid seemed normal to me, but as I grew up I realized that it was not. Not only did I witness abuse, I was molested as a child as well. Living as a “multiracial” family in College Park, GA in the late 70’s, we experienced different forms of racism. My family was teased, threatened and we were robbed by some neighbors that were involved in the KKK. I never really felt like I belonged anywhere. I didn’t fit in with my white friends because some of their family members didn’t care for my African American Heritage. Some of my African American friends didn’t care for my German Heritage. This created an inner struggle to “belong” or be “accepted”. I recall when my mom was alive and we went to a store and people where whispering or acting ugly she told me “Kristina”, (she said my name that way because in Germany my grandmothers name was Kristina ), she said you are a black woman and don’t let anyone tell you different!” I was like okay…

My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, a disease that she fought for four years. As the years past her condition worsened and she was hospitalized.  At the hospital she told my older brother she was tired and ready to go. He told her he had us and would raise us, not moments later she took her last breath. I didn’t know how to handle this. One day my mom who I was close to and spent time with being creative and fun was gone, like disappeared. My family said I didn’t speak for a long time. Just answered questions, yes and no, but no more singing Kristine or dancing Kristine.  Just silence. My mom got me into modeling when I was younger, so I pursued that after her death. I felt like it was a connection to her.

Life got really tougher after the death of my mother. My dad was an alcoholic, and that explains the violence in the home. He was depressed due to the death of my mother. He loved her so much, she was his everything. I recall one day they got into a fight and she told him, he was not a mean person it’s those demons in that bottle that makes you upset and something he was hurting from. There days where we had no lights, no hot water, no food, lol talk about boiling water on the stove and filling a tub up, been there done that. It’s like I had to grow up and be an adult to survive. My dad decided to go to rehab and we were left to raise ourselves. We told no one because my sister and I were young and my brother was in high school. We had to walk to the grocery store on old national, etc. We made it work.

After about two months my dad came home and he was good! He worked hard like normal and shared with us a book he wrote about his life. The book explained where the abuse towards my mom came from, hurting people hurt people! As time went on he eventually started drinking again. He misses my mom so much even till this day. There is so much more that happened in my home in Hillendale.  So being a lost little girl who was hurting on the inside, I began to seek love in all the wrong places. When I got to high school, I met a boy and eventually gave him my virginity. I knew better because by this time I was a part of a youth group that taught abstinence until marriage.  I felt like he would marry me. That’s what we discussed would happen once we graduated. I made him wait almost a year before we got sexually involved and after that about a year later he graduated (he was a junior when we met) and was off the chain and dumped me… I was so crushed that I didn’t know what to do. I had no mother to console me. I didn’t understand why things didn’t work out… what’s wrong with me… I gave him my virginity and we were to get married… I was so naive.

This experience turned me into a mean, angry and lost child.  I became promiscuous and started hanging with the wrong crowds. After I graduated, I got into some legal and trouble was facing 20+ years in prison on federal charges. God worked that all out and I ended up serving five years’ probation. I told God I would help young girls and boys seek better for their life. I never realized that it would come to pass. Fast word in my life, I moved to New York to pursue my career in Modeling and hung with the best of them (it’s in my book Affirmation of a Priceless Jewel) then found myself pregnant and then became homeless. I moved back to ATL where I had my blessing! She changed my life. It was like once I knew I was pregnant I had a second chance to get my life together. I began to see God’s unconditional love for me thru her eyes. There is nothing she could do to make me stop loving her. About a year later at church, I met the man who would become husband. He was a mentor to me and helped me on so many levels. I had so much hurt and baggage lol…. we started dating two years later then got married two years after that.

After we were married I got pregnant and suffered a blighted ovum. This is where the baby didn’t form but the sac grows and your body thinks it’s pregnant. This was hard because all I wanted to do was give my husband a son or a daughter. We got thru it. After a while and went to see a specialist which was the most! After a few months I saw in the Bible in Genesis where it says  “Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant” well I grabbed hold of that and didn’t do any of what the doctors wanted us to do. After all, we couldn’t really follow the doctor’s instructions because my husband was always at work or gone traveling with the NY Jets and our church in New York World Changers Church. So one day he got back and we had a quickie and I found out later I was pregnant with our second daughter!!! Talk about trusting God!! They wanted us to do all these tests and things. I believed it didn’t take all that. Fast forward he was released from the Jets and our lease was about to be up. Our whole financial structure changed. Then we got a call about overseeing the Norcross Ga church!

So we moved back to Atlanta to oversee our Norcross Church and I thought wow this isn’t how I saw my life lol. I wanted to model or open my own spa and then I hear we are to be ordained as ministers! I was like oh naw, not me. I’m from College Park, I have been to jail, been in these streets surely not me! Yep! Me! I always thought I had to be perfect being in Ministry but God will use the foolishness of the world to confound the wise lol. So we got ordained and I got pregnant again. I knew something wasn’t right, the baby’s heartbeat was slow and around Christmas, I think of 2012 the baby heart stopped. I was like what!!! This is when a program called Priceless Jewels was birthed. I thought it was a jewelry line because I designed Jewelry. As I sat in my closet I began to hear curriculum, journals books, etc. So I wrote stuff down and kept it moving. After a while I began to write what I called a mini book of Affirmations, like little pick me ups to motivate a woman or girl. I wanted to be what I needed in my life to someone else.

This mini book turned into a full-on book journal and soon to be courses!! I experienced another miscarriage after my son was born and miscarried at home. It was crazyyy, but I knew God had me. More ideas came to me for women. Ideas for women, who have been abused, hurt or lost. It is vital it is to know who you are and whose you are. It’s vital to know how precious you are in Gods eyes and how He wants to use every trial in our life to pick someone else up. I finally published my book in 2018. I now have an opportunity to create a course for women and girls.  I know one article can’t share the extent of trauma or triumph I have had. I can say this, I am thankful to have a voice to show the next woman or girl that they too can succeed and overcome! My book Affirmations of a Priceless Jewel helps me to overcome and face my fears, panic attacks and trauma of my past head on. The book helps me to realize I am Priceless!

Has it been a smooth road?
No, not always, each bump or trial has given me more strength, wisdom and faith.

Please tell us about Priceless Jewels.
Priceless Jewels is a program to rebuild hope in the lives of young girls and women. I am most proud of the opportunities I get to that allow me to speak life and positivity into other girls and women. The ability to show someone a better way or encourage, support them and guide them in life.  I think what sets it apart is the whole foundation is “being what I needed in life to someone else”

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I think with the way women are standing up for themselves now and understanding their power and equality, we will see a huge change in the economy, politics, ministry, business etc. A change for the good! As for Priceless Jewels, I see a full-fledged course/program in schools teaching identity, confidence etc. to young girls. A mentoring program so that any young girl can feel supported throughout her elementary, middle, high school and college years.

Pricing:

• My book is $24.95 Affirmations of a Priceless Jewel can be ordered on my site.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kristinejones.org
• Email: info@kristinejones.org
• Instagram: Thekristinejones

Image Credit:
Kerwin Davis Photography

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