As you may know, I love supporting small businesses and independent artisans and designers. One of my favorite items to buy from indie designers is jewelry, because there’s such a range of styles and prices. Here, I’ve rounded up a few of my current favorite indie jewelry brands!
Not only are these brands run by indie designers (i.e. real human beings, not faceless corporations), they also focus on sustainable and ethical practices.
5 woman-owned indie jewelry brands:
Automic Gold
If you’re looking for everyday jewelry that will be comfortable and keep its shine no matter what you’re doing—sleeping, washing your face, working out—look no further than Atomic Gold! Made from 14k solid, reclaimed gold, these pieces won’t tarnish or lose their color like gold-plated jewelry. They’re also designed to be so comfortable you won’t notice you’re wearing them. All pieces are made from reclaimed gold, which reduces landfill waste and doesn’t contribute to the environmental and ethical costs of mining. Even better, the brand uses real, diverse people, including people of color and non-cis folks, as models, is owned by a LGBTQ couple, and doesn’t Photoshop their images!
Machete
Machete makes beautiful tortoise shell pieces that I absolutely love! All materials used are Italian imported, high grade, cellulose acetates that are non-petroleum-based and biodegradable. I actually own a pair of their earrings (I’m wearing them in the first photo! I also styled them in this post).
Wasted Effort
Wasted Effort’s colorful, one-of-a-kind, abstract shapes are influenced by designer Marie Foxall’s math background. She says, “The successful completion of a creative project gives me the same nerdy satisfaction as solving a complicated equation.” As a creative with a background in physics, I have to say I agree! In addition, Marie minimizes waste by saving her scraps to create new pieces and using a mixture of new and industrial deadstock plexiglass, acrylic, and acetate.
Baleen
Run by a Seattle couple, Baleen sells minimalist pieces that stand out due to their elegant simplicity. I’ve seen their pieces all over town in boutiques and it’s only a matter of time before I snag a pair of their earrings for myself! 95% of their materials are recycled and they are a zero-waste manufacturer, meaning that all scraps go to recycling facilities. They also work with a zero-waste, nickel-free, and conflict-free gold-plating facility in the U.S.
Rock Salt Vintage
Using simple shapes, designer Katelin Reeser creates beautiful statement pieces that are bound to get you compliments. I’m in love with the aesthetics of her pieces and imagery! Materials are ethically sourced or recycled.
Do you have any favorite indie jewelry designers? Let me know in the comments!
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Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Automic Gold and contains affiliate links. As always, I only work with brands that I believe in and all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support my work!
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22 Comments
These are all really cute! I’m always looking to branch out into trying more sustainable brands, but they can be so hard to find at times…thanks for these!
Yay I’m glad you think so! Jewelry is one of my favorite things to buy ethically/sustainably because there are so many more options and at different price points 🙂
oh my goodness, automatic gold is adorable–i always love learning about indie jewelry brands!
Me, too…I always find them so fun and different from mass-produced designs!
So many cute options. I literally do not know where to start.
Haha yay glad you like them!
Thanks for sharing this!! I’ve been wanting to broaden my jewelry collection and these are just what I’ve been looking for!
Yay! I’m glad you like them!
Love Baleen! I have a necklace from them that I get so many compliments on. Looking forward to discovering these other ones!
I always see their designs around Seattle…I was so happy to discover that they are zero-waste!
I’ll have to check these out!!
Hope you like them!
Loved this post! I’m a sucker for cute jewelry brands, especially when they’re small businesses owned by women!
Thanks! Haha me too…they’re always the cutest pieces!
This is such a great round up! I love how each jewelry maker has a unique set of designs too!
xo, emma
Thanks Emma! I like how each designer has their own aesthetic!
Gorgeous pieces!
I agree, they’re all lovely!
I cant wait to check these out. These pieces are gorgeous!
I’m sure you’ll find lots of pieces to love! I want one (or a few) from each of these brands!
These are all such beautiful brands! I’ve never heard of any of them before, so I’m excited to check them out. I’m fortunate that I live in an area of the country with lots of independently-owned female businesses. Many of them are even student-owned, since this is a college town (Savannah, GA).
Oh wow that sounds so cool! Let me know if there are any I should check out.