Tag: handmade jewellery

Rainbow Smiles Collection
[ Background Story ][ Collections ][ Eco ][ Ethical & Sustainable Jewellery ][ Small Business ]

The Rainbow Smiles Collection

Be Uplifted
A few years ago, as part of an art exhibition at the Upstairs Art Gallery in Titirangi, I created a new collection along the theme of “Uplifting” - it was called the “Rainbow Smiles” collection.

The Rainbow Smiles collection comprises dangly earrings, a necklace, a bracelet and a brooch that all feature recycled Sterling Silver wire in the shape of a shallow u (or a smile 😊) with 9 different types of coloured semi-precious stones on each piece. For some reason, I never added the ...

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By curlicuenz
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Wire Wrapped Christmas Jewellery including Brooch, Earrings and Necklace
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The Christmas Tree Collection

Many years ago...
When I first started making my Christmas Tree Earrings, they were made from one long length of gold plated copper wire (per earring), with a tiny white Mother of Pearl star attached.

Becoming Eco Friendly
However I later decided to no longer create these ‘gold’ ones, as my focus moved to sustainability and the use of 100% recycled Sterling Silver wires.  I also acquired some slightly larger Mother of Pearl stars - an ivory one, and a red one.

Now, my Christmas Tre...

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By curlicuenz
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9 reasons to buy eco jewellery_blog post main image
[ Eco ][ Ethical & Sustainable Jewellery ][ Plastic Free ][ Small Business ][ Sustainable Packaging ][ Zero Waste ]

9 Reasons Why You Should Buy Eco Jewellery:

Firstly: What IS “Eco, Sustainable and Ethical” Jewellery?
“Sustainable and ethical jewelry means transparent and responsible sourcing practices and use of sustainable materials.”

~ sustainablejungle.com 

In my FAQ’s section, I talk about what “Eco-Friendly, Sustainable, Ethical and Eco Jewellery” actually is, and what sustainable practices Curlicue NZ follows.

In terms of metals - recycled Silver and Gold are considered to be a ‘sustainable material’. That is because they can be melte...

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By curlicuenz
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Mens Jewellery Blog Post main image
[ Background Story ][ Collections ][ Mens Jewellery ][ Small Business ]

Men’s Jewellery

Creating Jewellery for Men
When I started out making jewellery, I mostly made it just for women - and kids - as at the time, I had a young daughter keen on sparkly things!However, after a few years I started thinking more about creating jewellery for men. Unfortunately though, I don’t really know many men who wear jewellery! Do you?The only jewellery my husband wears is his wedding ring - which is made from Titanium, as we knew it would need to withstand some heavy wear and tear over the yea...

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By curlicuenz
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Eco Friendly Packaging - Reduce, Reuse, Rethink
[ Background Story ][ Plastic Free ][ Sustainable Packaging ][ Zero Waste ]

Sustainable Packaging

Curlicue NZ's current packaging:
Back at the end of 2017, after quite a lot of thinking and research, I started using a new gift box to package and protect my Curlicue NZ jewellery.

It was made from a cardboard base and a food-grade PVC clear lid. I had believed all parts of the box and packaging were fully recyclable (even the re-purposed bubble wrap insert which could be recycled in soft plastics), so I called it my Eco Gift Box.

The idea behind these gift boxes was that you could...

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By curlicuenz
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The Rose Collection on a spoon
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Love Me Do: The Romantic Rose Collection

The Romantic Rose Collection - which is one of my favourites, and contains several pieces that are customer favourites - has now been around for nearly five years.

It ultimately represents timeless luxury and sustainable elegance, and despite often being promoted as a perfect gift for Valentine's Day, it definitely doesn’t relate to just one day!
The Inspirational Rose:
The Romantic Rose collection was inspired by my first rose bush - given to me by my mum, that was called “Love Me Do”.

...

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By curlicuenz
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R3 Collection_All with water drops on milk bottle
[ Collections ][ Zero Waste ]

The New R3 Collection

Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose
My "R3 Collection" is the second of two collections launching next Tuesday (8th September).

For some time, I had been thinking about how I could produce some jewellery by recycling or repurposing some sort of material. The material had to be one that I had easy access to, and also one that I had the tools to create something new from. But I don’t have the tools (or know-how) for woodwork, nor glass (yet!)

What could I use?
What can I do that is different, disti...

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By curlicuenz
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