TROY, N.Y. — To be defined as a “small business” in New York State, you have to be independently owned and operated, “not be dominant in your field,” and have less than 100 employees (according to State Economic Development Law 131).
While those first two markers are uniform “yes or no” qualifiers, the most fluctuation comes from the number of employees.
In a city like Troy, that thrives on small businesses, there’s a great variety to the exact size and scope of businesses. Some are small, some are really small, and some are so small they’ve only got one employee running the whole show.
Meet Phantom Feline Design.
Owner and proprietress Victoria Marcario operates the company out of her Troy home. She’s a jeweler specializing in items made with uranium glass. While she doesn’t have a brick-and-mortar store, she has an Etsy shop, shelf space at Hangin’ Handmade on River St, and a noticeable presence at local fairs and markets.
“When I set up a booth, I’m like ‘How can I make it look like an unhinged witch lives here?’ It works!” Marcario said with a grin. “People see the booth and come over because they need to know what’s going on over there.”
Everything sold by Phantom Feline Design is handmade, from earrings to necklaces and pendants to tiny beaded critters. And because uranium glass is the company’s signature, just about everything glows under ultraviolet light — from the glass beads to the company’s business cards.
Why uranium glass? Marcario says she first became interested in the material after seeing it online.
“I saw a video of someone who had a collection, and I thought it was the coolest thing,” she recalled. “I found a seller on Etsy, and it turns out she was also a bead vendor. I’ve been making jewelry since I was seven, and I decided this should be a thing. No one else in the Capital Region, that I know of, does this style of jewelry with uranium glass — you see it more in high-end pieces.
“And I like stuff that has a transformative property to it. Like, here’s a tiny beaded lizard — and now it’s glowing. That’s fun.”
In addition to making jewelry, Marcario has a growing collection of uranium glass cat figurines. Her mother, who helps with the company’s financials, has vases and a few other items in uranium glass as well.
By selling her jewelry, Marcario wants to help eliminate the stigma about uranium glass, which is made by adding uranium oxide to glass while it’s in liquid form. While the uranium can be detected by a Geiger counter, uranium glass is completely safe to handle and wear, emitting no more radiation than your cell phone.
“It’s not scary,” Marcario explained. “A lot of people don’t know it’s old, either – if you’re wearing uranium glass made in America, it’s about a hundred years old.”
Shortly after getting interested in uranium glass, Marcario decided to take her hobby to the next level and turn it into a business. She created Phantom Feline Design in 2023, using her cat Sabine as the company’s mascot.
“Sabine is the most social of my family’s cats, she’s the most photogenic, and she looks the most otherworldly,” Marcario said. “She’s really my soul-cat.”
Since officially going into business last year, Marcario has been at a growing list of markets and fairs around the Capital Region.
Regular spots include Beekman Market in Saratoga Springs and the Big Gay Market in Albany. On the list for future engagements are the Aria Emporium popup market in Cohoes and the Capital Region VEG OUT vegan street fair in Troy next month, and July’s Troy Pride Festival. She’s trying to get into more places too, including the Troy Farmers’ Market.
When she’s not working with uranium glass, Marcario has been known to delve into acrylic molding. She can create custom dice sets, she can craft pendants and charms, she can even turn molded pieces into earring components by drilling a hole and adding the right hardware.
Want some handcrafted jewelry of your very own?
If you can’t get to Hangin’ Handmade or one of the markets Phantom Feline Design is at, contact Marcario by email or Instagram and let her know what you want. The Etsy shop has the company’s “greatest hits,” while selections at fairs and markets tend to be a little more experimental, to see what new things customers like. The offerings at Hangin’ Handmade are a mix of the greatest hits and the newer items.
Phantom Feline Design’s current bestsellers are “crying eyes” earrings, tiny Mothman beaded critters, silly band earrings, and just about anything Marcario makes using alexandrite glass. Marcario loves doing custom pieces and will happily work with a customer to come up with a design they love. She knows lots of styles of jewelry, from wire-wrapped pendants to headpin earrings to beaded critter charms.
“I’m really a jack of all trades,” Marcario said. “It just depends on the day.”
Marcario is happy to be part of Troy’s small business community and always looks forward to her next market.
“The community is amazing, not just as a small business owner but as an artist too,” she said. “Everyone is so supportive around here. We hype each other up, we all buy from each other, we share each other’s posts and follow each other on social media.”
For more information and to inquire about products, email phantomfelinedesign@gmail.com or follow Phantom Feline Design on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/phantomfelinedesign/.
Do you know a small business in Rensselaer County that should be featured in an upcoming Small Business Spotlight? Email mschuman@saratogian.com to make a nomination!
