I have always found myself drawn to unique things and realize that is more so the case after I went through my Minimalism process. This is because when buying things, in order to be more discerning of what I bring into my home and avoid adding clutter, I make a point to be cognizant of whether the item is useful and/or brings me joy. I find that when it comes to the latter, the more unique the item is, the chances of it bringing me joy is higher. I had written a post years ago about having Unique Items in Your Home and can now say I have more things in my home that are unique that bring a smile to my face when I see them.
When it comes to my clothing and accessories, I also find myself drawn to more unusual pieces. However, it is only recently that I’ve purchased a one of a kind piece of jewelry, a necklace that was completely customized and designed according to general guidance of what I wanted, coupled with the truly brilliant creativity of my jewelry designer, Bestiana, who states on her website: “Creating positive pieces while being mindful in my process and giving back are important to me.”
Before I dive into my custom necklace, I’ll first give an idea of what one may expect to find in Bestiana’s Etsy shop. She handcrafts metal stamped necklaces, bracelets, earrings and keychains of all shapes and sizes in various types of raw materials that are ethically sourced from eco-friendly businesses within the US including Aluminum, Stainless Steel, Sterling Silver, Copper and Pewter. If looking for gold, she uses cost efficient, yet high quality 14k Gold Filled pieces instead of Gold Plated, Gold Vermeil or 14k-24k Gold metals. This is because there is a solid layer that contains a significant amount of 14K Gold, about 100 times more than in Gold Plated or Gold Vermeil, which is made up of very little actual 14K Gold that eventually will tarnish or turn your skin green. Here is the order of quality starting with the best when it comes to Gold: 24k, 18k, 14k, 14k Gold Filled, Stainless Steel Gold Plated, Gold Plated and Gold Vermeil.
Next is a brief description of all the other metals she uses: ALUMINUM is very lightweight, hypoallergenic, does not rust or tarnish, is easy to clean, eco-friendly, affordable and looks similar to Sterling Silver. However, keep in mind this is easier to get scratched so will need to be cared for properly and polished regularly to keep it’s shine. STAINLESS STEEL is heavier and shinier than aluminum or Sterling Silver, hypoallergenic, does not tarnish, is easy to clean, affordable, waterproof, sweat proof, and is stronger to resist scratches. 14K GOLD FILLED is hypoallergenic and can keep it’s golden shine and last for years with proper care while being less expensive than 14K-24K Gold. STERLING SILVER is heavier than Aluminum, hypoallergenic, will tarnish therefore requires regular cleaning with a polish cloth and should be stored with an anti-tarnish material which Bestiana graciously provides with any sterling silver purchase. PEWTER is a pretty and rustic metal but because it is a softer metal, dents and scratches are usually more visible.
The other aspect I MUST mention is around her shipping. She was able to custom make and ship out my order in record time, which meant I had the necklace within a couple days of ordering! Her packaging uses reusable, recyclable, sustainable and/or eco-friendly materials to help keep waste to a minimum. I’ve ordered various items from many other Etsy providers in the past and Bestiana’s is without a doubt the most impressive. I say this not only because of her consciousness around what materials she uses, but the manner in which she puts it all together is done in such a pleasing way, that it felt like opening gifts during Christmas. You can already get a glimpse of her mindfulness and attention to detail which is clearly reflected in how she exhibits her items for sale through the photos on her Etsy shop. Aside from the craftmanship of her quality jewelry, the thoughtfulness and care taken with presentation with her packaging alone makes this an ideal gift!
Now back to my necklace, which I am thrilled to share. After taking a quick look at some of the items she sells online, I requested a custom moon shaped necklace with “GGIBBERISH” in the center, along with some décor while leaving the exact details of the design to the expert. I only advised that I liked the florals, sun/moon/stars, and mandala details she had on her other pieces. The way she artfully combined all of them together resulted in such a beautiful design that I am absolutely delighted to wear and show off. I already received a compliment about how lovely it looks!
The necklace came clipped on a thick recyclable card stock with a metal hinge clip that held both the necklace and polish cloth, with a rustic natural fiber string decoration, which came in not one, but two bags. The smaller of the two was a cotton muslin drawstring bag, that was then put into a larger, more heavy weight cloth drawstring bag that included detailed care and storage instructions and a personally hand written thank you card. If you are buying a gift for someone, you may be glad to hear that Bestiana will happily include a customized message on your behalf and can send the item directly to the recipient if you so desire. I personally plan to reuse all the packaging materials, including the cardstock. While that could easily be recycled, I will use it as a gift tag for a future gift.
If you can’t tell already, I highly recommend supporting this U.S. based woman-owned small business, because Bestiana has far exceeded my expectations with her mindfully handmade, eco-friendly jewelry, using high quality tools made in her home studio. But if you aren’t convinced, let me leave you with one more tidbit of information about this business to hopefully sway you to consider checking out her Etsy shop for potential gifts for birthday, holiday, any other occasion or even to treat yourself.
Bestiana donates 10% of her sales to one of several organizations dedicated to our planet and animal welfare such as Save the Redwoods League, Planet Bee, Muttville, Homeless Cat Network and the World Wildlife Fund. Many of you know I am a big proponent of giving back and it warms my heart to know that aside from receiving a gorgeous unique piece of jewelry, my purchase also supports organizations that are in alignment with causes I care about as well.
I am all about supporting businesses I believe in, especially those that are aligned with my own values, such as giving back. I hope by spreading the word through this blog post, that people will consider purchasing from this seller instead of a generic big box store the next opportunity they have. I already have a couple Christmas gifts in hand that I will wait to do a blog post on later because they are for people who read my blog and listen to my podcast and I don’t want to spoil the surprise! Plus I have a few more birthday and Christmas gifts in mind that I will be placing my order in for soon!
GGibberish 