
All jewellery is handmade and shipped from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and therefore is exempt from tariffs for USA customers under CUSMA, the free-trade agreement. I always ship with a certificate of origin for customs.
All jewellery is handmade and shipped from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and therefore is exempt from tariffs for USA customers under CUSMA, the free-trade agreement. I always ship with a certificate of origin for customs.
*Caveat on using the term “recycled gold”:
While I am very careful to source my precious metals only from SCS® certified suppliers (SCS® stands for Supply Chain Sustainability; they are the global leader in the field of sustainability standards and third-party certification). Most of my precious metals suppliers are also members of the Responsible Jewellery Council. However, I want to point out that ‘recycling gold' is not what is commonly understood by the term.
True recycling avoids things ending up in landfills. Gold, of course, wouldn’t.
Instead, gold is simply melted, refined and repurposed.
Although SCS® certified refineries must maintain auditable records of their suppliers, there are loopholes globally which make it very easy for gold from unregulated and/or illegal sources to enter their supply chain.
This makes even 'certified recycled' gold untraceable.
Further reading:
Is Recycled Gold Ethical?
Materials, Sustainability, & Fairmined Metals
I had a fabulous time this past weekend at the Avondale Garlic Festival. This annual event is such a different pace from the hustle and bustle of my other shows, that it almost feels like a vacation. And how great to see my fellow artisans!
Avondale Winery, famous not only for its award-winning wines, but also its move of a historic church, puts on two annual festivals – one in June, one in September. Juried artisans show their wares, farmers sell garlic and other produce, there is live music and food trucks, wine and ale tastings, contests and workshops, and chef demos.
It’s wonderful to connect with people personally. There are several folks who come to see me here every year.
The event was sweetened this year by a couple from Cape Breton, who brought with them not only 8 different varieties of garlic, but also a big ice chest full of oysters! At $15 for a baker’s dozen, how could I resist? Ah, but what a great feeling: to stand in the middle of a meadow in rural Nova Scotia, on this unusually warm Sunday afternoon, and be slurping deliciously sweet, ice cold, beautifully fresh Cape Breton oysters!
PS: sorry to my vegetarian and vegan friends. I had to!