Many of us own jewelry that we have received as gifts or purchased ourselves, but this may not include any handmade jewelry. If you’re tired of buying mass-produced jewelry, adding some handmade jewelry pieces to your collection offers many benefits. Here are some of the reasons why purchasing handmade jewelry is a good idea.
Support talented artisans
Artisan handmade jewelry is often made with great care. Automatic machines aren’t used to speed up the process. Instead, a few tools help artisans to handcraft pieces using their hands to bring their ideas to life.
Supporting their creativity helps these talented jewelry makers to continue their work. Most of them create their pieces because they are passionate about their art. They often don’t receive the amount of financial compensation they should relative to the amount of hours they put in.
However, they still need to earn a living and if enough people buy their work, they are able to support their families and continue to do what they do best. You are supporting a new economic model that allows hardworking, creative artisans to do the work they love.
Own more unique, creative items
Handcrafting items means that every piece is different. You don’t have to worry about showing up for a social event to find someone else wearing exactly the same necklace and earrings as you.
You can choose a piece that expresses your lifestyle and personality best and know that you are the only person in the world wearing it. You are able to choose from intricate designs that are difficult to mass-produce and truly show artisanship.
Many small-scale handmade jewelry makers live in far-flung locations and online platforms have given them the opportunity to share the techniques of their homeland and their unique designs. Each piece tells a story and holds a message.
Choose quality items that last
Jewelry makers put a great deal of attention and care into a tiny piece of handmade jewelry. Contrast this with artificially produced items produced mechanically in a factory where the focus is on volume. Handmade jewelry is often better constructed with more care than factory-produced items.
Jewelry makers may take much longer to produce a piece, but the attention to detail is worth the wait. Time is a precious resource and knowing that a piece has taken time to create can make it more meaningful.
Experience better customer service
When you buy handmade products and something goes wrong with them, you can almost guarantee that sellers will want to fix them. They don’t want their reputation to suffer and many of them rely on customer satisfaction and excellent reviews to sell their products.
They may also be willing to make custom items to your specifications. You can ask a designer to include something unique to you, whether it is a birthstone or an engraving.
Contribute to sustainability
Artisans know where their materials come from and would rather use those that are ethically sourced. Their jewelry isn’t made with machines and so less electricity is used and they usually only employ a couple of people to help them, so there are no bad work ethics either (apart from probably working late nights at times!)
Whether you’re buying a gift or something special for yourself, choosing handmade is the best way to go if you want a piece that’s unique, beautiful, durable and more sustainable.
You know who made the piece, where they made it and that in doing so, they put their heart and soul into it. Remember that you’re buying a piece that will be an investment for you but will also support a bigger cause.