Jason aned Stacey Posey’s Stories, Lessons & Insights

Jason aned Stacey Posey shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Good morning Jason aned Stacey , we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
What makes us feel proud—every single time—is hearing from our customers about what a piece has come to mean in their lives. We’ve had people tell us a necklace became part of their wedding day, or a ring helped them honor a loved one they lost, or that wearing one of our pieces just makes them feel more like themselves again. Those moments always hit us hard, because it shows that what we make isn’t just jewelry—it becomes part of someone’s story. That emotional response is what keeps us going and makes us feel like we’re on the right path.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
We are a married team behind Southern Oak Trading, and our story is rooted in a shared love for creativity, travel, and the art of craftsmanship. Jay’s background spans the music and fashion worlds—he spent years as a DJ playing across the globe, ran a successful streetwear clothing line called Atlast Clothing, and owned a nightclub in East Atlanta Village for over a decade. He has always been drawn to style and jewelry as forms of self-expression.

Stacey comes from four generations of traders—antiques, clothing, and jewelry have always been in her blood. Her family owned trading posts, and her father was a fashion designer, so the world of design and collecting has been part of her life since childhood. Together, we merge our passions—Jay’s streetstyle and music roots with Stacey’s heritage in antiques and design—along with our love for traveling and history to create jewelry that tells a story.

Our work is a blend of the old and the new: we hand-forge many of our pieces using time-honored methods—Jay still stamps designs into metal using antique tools, rebar, and even a tree stump as his base. Many of our creations incorporate vintage elements we’ve sourced from markets and travels around the world, while others are original designs that pay homage to the true form of craftsmanship. The result is jewelry that feels soulful, rugged, and deeply connected to both history and modern style. That combination of heritage, artistry, and adventure is what makes Southern Oak Trading so unique.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
Honestly, our marriage has shaped so much of how we see ourselves and our work. We’ve built Southern Oak Trading together, and it’s been this ongoing collaboration of two very different but complementary perspectives. Jay comes from music, nightlife, and street culture; Stacey comes from generations of traders and makers. When we combine those worlds, we push each other creatively—he’ll dream big on design, she’ll bring in the history and soul—and somewhere in the middle is where the magic happens. It’s less about romance in the traditional sense and more about building something side by side that reflects both of us.

And then there are our customers. They constantly validate what we feel deep down—that jewelry is emotional. It marks moments, carries memories, and tells people’s stories. When someone writes to us saying a piece we made became part of their wedding day, or a keepsake after a loss, or even just something that makes them feel like themselves again—that’s when we realize this is more than metal and stones. It’s a shared journey between us as makers and them as wearers, and it’s the most rewarding part of what we do

What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
We all carry our own stories, our own scars. That’s why we’re drawn to the well-loved pieces we’ve been fortunate enough to cross paths with—the cracked stones, the weathered silver, the jewelry that’s clearly been on a journey. There’s a Native American spirit to that for us: these pieces are warriors in their own right, marked by life but still standing strong, beautiful in their imperfection. They reflect our own paths—marriage, business, life itself—and remind us that strength and beauty often come from the breaks and the healing, not just the shine

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
For us, it’s perfecting our craft—no matter how long it takes. Every piece we make is in homage to those who came before us: the silversmiths, the traders, the artists who shaped this work long before we ever picked up a hammer. We’re carrying that lineage forward, slowly, deliberately, learning as we go, because honoring the tradition means never rushing the process. The goal isn’t perfection in the modern sense—it’s staying true to the spirit, the history, and the hands that taught us what this craft could be.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
We hope the story people tell isn’t about what we said, but what we made. The heirloom pieces we’ve crafted—and the vintage ones we’ve been lucky enough to cross paths with—will carry that story on their own. Every ring, every pendant, every weathered stone becomes a step in its journey, long after we’re gone. We want people to feel that we honored the craft, the history, and the lives these pieces touched along the way.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernoaktrading

Image Credits
They are my own photos.