Stella Valle: What Happened To The Jewelry Brand After Shark Tank?

Since its television debut in 2009, well over 1,000 products have been pitched to the investors — known as Sharks — on ABC's hit show "Shark Tank." Some go on to become very successful, some fizzle out, and others — like Stella Valle — somehow manage to do both. On Season 4, Episode 25, sisters and U.S. Army veterans Ashley Dellavalle Jung and Paige Dellavalle Walker took a stab at convincing the sharks to invest in their joint venture: jewelry brand Stella Valle.

The two women presented the sharks with their line of modern customizable jewelry featuring interchangeable screw-in charm collections, which attach to metal or leather bases. In the presentation, the duo reported that the company had already made $75,000 in sales and asked the Sharks to invest $150,000 in return for 25% equity. While they didn't get this exact deal in the end, they did strike a deal with not just one Shark but two: QVC veteran Lori Greiner and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. 

During their "Shark Tank" pitch, Ashley Jung and Paige Walker recounted their shared desire to put their business degrees to use as entrepreneurs after being discharged from the U.S. military. They landed on customizable jewelry "to encourage individuality and self-expression" and got down to business. "Even though these army fatigues camouflage our creativity, we had a clear vision for our life after the military," Walker told the Sharks. They'd garnered attention from retailers like Bloomingdale's but wanted to grow their brand to global heights. Though everyone seemed impressed with their presentation, Sharks Kevin O'Leary and Robert Herjavec were quick to drop out of the running due to issues with the brand's overall valuation and strategy, which relied on department store trunk shows rather than getting jewelry lines placed directly into stores.

Daymond John, founder of the clothing brand FUBU, listened to the sisters' pitch longer but ultimately bowed out after they jokingly used their military service to try to sway him into investing. "Listen, I have to be honest, but I just don't like the jewelry," John told them. Lori Greiner, however, seemed especially moved by Jung and Walker's story and suggested that the founders donate a portion of their profits to organizations that help military veterans. When the pair replied that they were already doing so, she convinced Mark Cuban to team up with her for a deal in which they would invest a joint $150,000 in return for 35% equity. Stella Valle's founders agreed. 

Following the company's appearance on "Shark Tank," the Stella Valle sisters received criticism from some viewers. Some were particularly offended by Ashley Jung and Paige Walker's attempt to guilt Daymond John — jokingly or not — into investing in their company by insisting that he owed them in return for his freedom as an American. "As a combat wounded military veteran," one YouTube commenter shared, "these girls using their sexuality and what they did for our country as a begging point to change people's minds is insulting. I truly believe that they embarrassed themselves and the military." Others expressed concern that the sisters were given preferential treatment. "If the owners of Stella Valle were two average looking male veterans," one viewer commented on the Shark Tank Blog, "this deal probably would have never aired." 

Seemingly untouched by the controversy, Stella Valle quickly made its way onto QVC and into large and small retailers alike, including Target, jewelry chain Jared, and Army and Air Force Exchange stores. Between these retailers carrying the company's products, its now-defunct website, its Amazon store, and its physical storefront in New Hope, Pennsylvania, Stella Valle's sales rose exponentially, kicking off the sisters' post-"Shark Tank" journey in style.

Ashley Jung and Paige Walker continued to grow Stella Valle until at least late 2022 when Jung departed from the company to take a job with a government consulting firm. Since then, the company's website has disappeared. Still, Stella Valle products continue to be sold online at Jared and on Amazon, though the only item still listed at Jared at the time of writing is a brass November birthstone ring offered at a clearance price. On Amazon, the official Stella Valle store remains open, but without mention of its founders, and its prices are considerably lower than those mentioned on "Shark Tank." For example, one review of a mother-daughter two-bracelet set mentions paying $80 for the product, which is now listed for just $24.99 — a steep decline for the brand's bold jewelry.

Furthermore, the brand's in-person storefront in New Hope now appears to be occupied by another jewelry business named Danielle B Jewelers, which celebrated its grand opening on December 3, 2022 (via The Bucks County Herald). Stella Valle's Instagram page has not been updated since April 2022. While this suggests that the company no longer operates the same way it did at its peak, the business is still functioning if its Amazon and Jared pages are anything to go by. Perhaps a transitional period is to be expected after Jung's departure from the company. 

After leaving the company in 2022, Stella Valle co-founder Ashley Jung continues to serve as vice president of human capital solutions at LMI, a business consulting firm and government contractor. Her Instagram account remains active but offers no mention of Stella Valle, suggesting that her departure was a permanent decision. Paige Walker's Instagram account also contains no recent mentions of Stella Valle. Instead, a post from June 30, 2023, states that she and an associate launched a skincare company named The Brightwood.

Stella Valle hasn't posted on Instagram since 2022 or Twitter since 2018 and doesn't appear to be garnering mentions, either. While no official announcements have yet been made, it seems clear that the two sisters who founded Stella Valle and braved the Sharks have now gone their separate ways — at least as far as business is concerned. Although some of their products remain available online, their prices could be low to clear out existing inventory, though, again, no announcements about the company's fate have been made. Still, one thing is certain: These founders know how to sell a story.