6 Black & Brown-Owned Ethical Jewelry Shops
Celebrating shops created by women of color. Etsy has opened up the doors for artisans and creatives to showcase their products without having to own storefronts. And the level of talent across the platform is wonderful to see. Today we are highlighting the jewelry shops that cater to women from different cultural backgrounds and life.
Each shop prides itself on making ethically sourced materials and metals to create their jewelry. It is impossible to talk about all of them but the hope is that by talking about these specific sights, not only will you add more jewelry to your collection but support a group of women proud of their cultures.
Here are the 6 Black & Brown owned ethical jewelry shops:
1. Omi Woods
Omi Woods was highlighted in an Artist of the Week column on Etsy's webpage detailing the back story on how the shop was created and the motivation behind creating jewelry showcasing the artist's cultural background. Not only is the jewelry itself breathtaking but the wonderful quality of the pictures taken of the products amplifies the shop even more. Everything is handmade with ethically sourced fine material and African gold.
Omi Woods was created by Ashley Alexis McFarlene as a homage to her African heritage and other countries from the African diaspora. The company initially was started as a tribute to the founder's Grandmother who left behind heirloom pieces to be passed down to the women in the family. And thus gave McFarlene the idea to create handmade a collection of heritage pieces so women all across the globe could pass down these jewels to their own family members.
The shop caught my eye as the jewelry is exquisite, the details in the coin necklaces which are personal favorites of mine are unparalleled. The shop offers necklaces, earrings, pendants, and even hair jewelry as well.
2. LenoreLenoreStudio
Radiant. Unique. Bold.
Is the tagline for LenoreLenoreStudio's beautiful handwoven jewelry. The jewelry pieces are all exquisitely beautiful and the details of each one are well documented. The owner Diana Corredin, got inspiration from her Columbian heritage and wanted to display those traits in her jewelry line. The woven jewelry is made from Japanese glass beads and is so intricate it could take a few weeks to complete each pair.
What caught my eye about this particular shop is the colors of each one. You can tell the artist appreciates where she comes from with her usage of color and pattern within the beads.
3. Aisforavery
Aisforavery is the absolute cutest shop! The shop has everything for women's different tastes like the minimal aesthetic look and a bolder look for those who want to change their style up. The "Ear Art" as the creator Avery calls them, is made from polymer clay which makes them incredibly light and makes no sounds.
4. Maisolorzano
Contemporary jewelry shop that makes their products from recycled composites. The more natural the better! Mai Solorzano, the artist behind Maisolorzano, is inspired by nature around her and used those details to craft the jewelry seen below. Using reused materials and keeping with an ethical production model, she keeps things natural but eye-catching. The jewelry is beautiful and nothing like you've ever seen before. Solorzano's Mexican heritage plus her travels around Europe and South America helped create the intricate jewelry that is displayed in her shop.
5. LinguaNigra
Love of nature and metal. Ethereal.
Just a few words to describe the shop LinguaNigra created in 2003 by artisan Alicia Goodwin. The pieces were created with elements of nature entwined into the design. Goodwin uses specific techniques such as acid etching and metal reticulation to creature texture which can vary depending on the time and details. Romantic and ethereal, the jewelry ranges from earrings, necklaces, and pendants.
