Some businesses will use sourcing methods that support communities or create educational opportunities. There are plenty of ways many designers put in the effort to make their raw materials more ethical. Ethically and Sustainably Sourced Fine Metals.However, it stands true that most artisan jewelry is produced with better attention to human rights abuses and the impact of jewelry on the environment. The use of only the best ethical raw materials isn’t part of its definition. Now, the use of ethical materials isn’t a given in handcrafted jewelry. From blood diamonds to unethically sourced fine metals, many of the components used to create the typical jewelry collection is born from abuse and exploitation. One of the significant issues in the jewelry industry is the use of questionable materials. But rest assured, there are plenty of reasons why handcrafted jewelry is a better choice, especially if you want a one-of-a-kind piece that can be passed down for generations. You might still be skeptical about handcrafted jewelry. You may even get higher quality and better value from your local craftsman! Is Handmade Jewelry Better? These jewelry giants have been dominating the industry for literally centuries.īut their existence does not make handcrafted jewelry less valuable. Some of those early jewelers are still around today, namely Cartier, Tiffany’s, and Bulgari. Of course, with this event also came the rise of large manufacturers that could churn out jewelry at industrial levels. But, like many things, that all changed during the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century.Īs mass-production became more prevalent, jewelry became more accessible to the general public, especially to the rising middle class. After all, only the very affluent could get access to those shiny stones. Throughout history, there have been traces of beaded bracelets, wearable art, and so much more.įor quite a long time, jewelry was used to connote status. Some of the first handcrafted ornaments were metal pieces often shaped to depict human and animal forms. Back then, handcrafted jewelry was most likely used to denote status or membership in a particular community. The first types of jewelry were made from colored pebbles or bones since hunter-gatherer societies still hadn’t found mineral deposits yet. People as early as 25,000 years ago were already using jewelry ! It’s important to understand that, until very recently in the history of human beings, jewelry was handcrafted. Most artisan jewelers have to make their handcrafted ornaments from the metal sheet, then hammer, shape, embellish, and style from there. Handmade also entails creating a piece from scratch as much as possible. But this is one of the more gray areas in the discussion, so we’ll leave it up to you to come to a conclusion. Does this still count as handmade? We think so!Īlthough it could be arguable that pieces made with power tools aren’t handmade, they are so different from the processes used in mass production and still retain the individuality of being made by hand. However, some artisans choose to use specific power tools for some of their pieces. Most jewelry can be made with hand tools. For artisan jewelry makers, there is a specific focus on using traditional techniques that mainly use hand tools. Many jewelry designers use machinery to mass-produce their pieces, but the opposite is true for artisan jewelry pieces. This means one of a kind, usually made by one individual, and original pieces. The other main criteria for when jewelry items can be considered artisan is if they are handmade pieces. We appreciate the work that our artists and artisans do for the community! These are simply two different approaches to creation, and one is not more important or takes precedence over the other. It is essential to consider that artisans are not better than artists and the other way around. The word artisan originates from artigiano, an Italian word for someone engaged and skilled at making things. While an artist is focused on the aesthetic value of a piece, an artisan pays specific attention to how this value can be translated into function.Īrtisans, therefore, create beautiful items that we can use in daily life (or a similar equivalent). An artisan is essentially someone who creates functional items and may integrate beauty into this functionality.Īn artisan is not to be confused with an artist, although artisans are often artists but not the other way around. The Artisanįor artisan handcrafted jewelry to stay true to its name, it has to be made by an artisan. We like to think there are two main components to it: the creator and the creation. Many businesses are marketing themselves as artisan jewelry brands and labeling their jewelry pieces as artisan-ish when neither is the case. To understand the value of artisan jewelry, it is essential to define it first since there seems to be a lot of confusion about handmade jewelry.
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