Here's What Went Down With Litter Jewelry After Shark Tank

Longtime "Shark Tank" fans, it's time to cast your mind back to 2012. During Season 3, Episode 8 of the ABC series, you may remember a family jewelry brand called Litter Jewelry going before the Sharks. California-bred sisters Rachael Mann and Mackenzie Burdick created the company after feeling inspired by nostalgic childhood memories of collecting natural beach materials.

"My sister and I grew up scouring the Santa Cruz sands with our grandmother, a distinguished jeweler who would search for any natural or unnatural scrap of magic she found to create her one-of-a-kind collages and jewelry pieces," Mann explained to TPFW. "Her inspiration helped us to formulate our own love and desires to seek out the beauty in the forgotten materials, and we have cultivated a line from this family tradition."

Steering away from traditionally feminine designs, the siblings started creating unique headpieces before expanding into body and shoe jewelry. Those distinctive pieces caught the attention of some huge names in fashion, including Elle, Harper's Bazaar, and Vogue. But to keep that buzz going, the sisters knew they needed a little help from business big wigs. Enter "Shark Tank."

In 2012, Rachael Mann and Mackenzie Burdick headed into the "Shark Tank" tank to offer 51% of their business in exchange for $80,000. The twosome explained they were in need of someone more business-minded to help take their growth to the next level while they focused on designing. At the time, they shared some impressive figures with the Sharks, revealing they'd earned $78,000 in sales the year prior and were looking to sell $150,000 of products that year.

Sadly, those figures weren't enough to impress everyone on the panel. Both Kevin O'Leary and Robert Herjavec rejected the proposition of being a part of the company, sharing they thought the business needed too much help. They did admit, though, that they liked the sisters. But Daymond John took a different approach. Despite the sisters already offering more than half of their business, he wanted 70% of the company and offered to fork over $80,000 for the privilege. He also offered to pay both Mann and Burdick's salaries, in addition to offering the two the chance to eventually earn back the equity they initially pitched. That prospect was equally appealing to Mark Cuban, who also invested in another jewelry brand on the show, Stella Valle. Cuban offered to go in with John on the deal, with both using their unique skills to upgrade the company. Despite giving away a massive chunk of equity, Mann and Burdick agreed to the deal, leaving the tank with two Sharks on board.

In a YouTube video posted to Litter Jewelry's account in March 2012, Rachael Mann and Daymond John spoke about how the business had already started growing following "Shark Tank." Mann explained that since their episode aired, the company had already teamed up with Selita Ebanks on a new line and started selling their products at Free People. "We have boutiques all over the world," Mann shared. "It's just the beginning." John then expressed how involved he was expecting to be with the company, noting that he planned to be at all the fittings for different jewelry pieces. He also reiterated how impressed he was with the company's creative process. "The things that you guys come up with, I just have no concept of how you guys come up with it," he admitted to Mann.

The company went on to huge things after the show, including moving to larger offices in 2014. In no time, countless famous faces were spotted wearing the brand. In 2017, Litter's backlace was worn by Irina Shayk for "Sports Illustrated," while Gigi Hadid wore a bralette from the company for the magazine the year prior. With notable fans like that, it's no surprise Reality Titbit reported in 2022 that the brand had achieved an annual turnover of $6 million!

Though Litter Jewelry saw a lot of initial success in the 2010s with Daymond John and Mark Cuban on board, more than a decade after its "Shark Tank" appearance, the brand's future seems unclear. As of August 2023, the brand's once thriving website simply states "Coming soon[.] A new website is in the works!" with no links to actually purchase any of the line's many products. 

The company's presence on social media also appears to have stopped. Litter Jewelry's Instagram page hasn't been updated since April 2020, with the last upload promoting a line of chain facemasks. Before abandoning the social media site, Litter Jewelry had amassed a fairly sizable Instagram following, with over 15,400 fans and hundreds of likes on every post. Its Facebook page, meanwhile, hasn't been updated since 2018, and its Twitter account has been abandoned even longer. The sisters' last updated their more than 1,400 followers on Twitter way back in 2016.

It seems pretty likely Litter Jewelry is no more due to its lack of an online presence, but what Rachael Mann's LinkedIn page still lists her as a designer and partner for Litter as of August 2023. She hasn't updated her page with any other career news. However, over on Instagram, she's hinted that she may have a new passion. Her bio links to an account dedicated to a stunning Baja California Sur, Mexico, home which she appears to have decorated herself and now rents out to those looking for a vacation or to throw a lavish get together. Suggesting Mann's focus may be more on real estate and home décor these days, the home was even featured in the Mexican magazine Elle Decoration in September 2021 and Britain's Elle Decoration Country in November 2021. It's also worth noting that Litter Jewelry's Instagram page now only links to Mackenzie Burdick's Instagram.

As for what Burdick's up to now, her LinkedIn lists her experience as being a designer at Litter, with no other current job specified. Her private Instagram doesn't make mention of the company in the bio, instead reading, "Animals/Family/Nature/sports."