Quick update:
We just joined and committed to donating 2% of our diamond sales to Hands for Africa. An organization dedicated to repairing the damage caused by the diamond industry in Africa, currently focusing on Sierra Leone.
Love and I are also about to go on a cross country road trip to Nova Scotia. We will be stopping at as many gold and gemstone mines along the way to see for ourselves the true environmental cost and impact of making jewelry.
All the best,
Justinder
Friday, July 29, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
We are seeking a Designer!
Are you passionate about the earth? Would you like to make a difference? Are you tired of giving your all to companies that just don't care about what's in your soul? Do you enjoy creating and craftsmanship? Do you enjoy learning about people and being a part of their lives? Would you like to work in an environment that is conscious, sustainable and toxin free? Would you like to work with people who care about you?
If you answered yes to these questions and enjoy designing jewelry, please consider the Abbey Jewelry Studio as a venue to explore and make a difference in your life, the people you will work with and the world around you while making a living.
A little about the Abbey. The heart of the Abbey is Conscious, Sustainable, Toxin Free jewelry made with Love. We design, create and restore jewelry with Love, Integrity and Passion. Most people have no idea that creating jewelry hurts many lives, creates massive amounts of waste, much of it toxic, and actually contains toxic materials that can cause cancer as well as a myriad of health problems. As the founder, my goal is to spread awareness to the world of the true cost of jewelry, as well as showing that jewelry is possible to create that does good, is sustainable, and won't poison the people who wear it. We as the studio specialize in hand fabrication and craftsmanship of precious metals using the latest technology combined with traditional and experimental techniques. We design using stories and meaning, literally helping people to capture their souls in metal and stone. This studio is truly a place of creation and imagination. The studio has been filled with the best of our energy; Love, Compassion and integrity guides our consciousness and every decision we make.The studio itself is a calm, warm and open atmosphere filled with plants, recycled furniture, open space, color, exposed wood and metal, friends. We begin every day with a hug and end the same. Every person is here because our passion drives us, and we can't help but do what we do.
What we are looking for in a designer:
1. An open heart and mind: you will be experiencing in depth conversations into the hearts of peoples relationships and lives. An open mind will be integral to learning about people and helping them transfer their thoughts and feelings into jewelry.
2. Communication skills: you will be engaging with many people, and must be able to listen as well as articulate your thoughts and feelings. You will also be working with jewelers to create the designs, and will need to help them understand the nuances of the design. You will also be staying in communication and sharing the aspects of the creation process with the people you design for, and if you're interested with the world through the website, blog, and the organizations we are a part of and joining (Ethical Goldsmiths, Earthworks, Hands for Africa)
2.b Intuitive: a lot of the designing we do comes from intuitively listening to peoples hearts and stories and being able to decipher what is not said in addition to hearing what is.
3. Conscious: we are very conscious about the affects of our actions on the Earth, Society and the Health of all that is around us. We are looking for someone who feels the same way who can help us to grow in these areas.
4. Organized: staying on top of new orders and making sure they are organized and worked on in the right priority is a must. It is very easy to let orders and responsibilities fall through the cracks with so much going on at any time in the studio. We are also looking for a manager for the studio, so if your feet are too big for just the designers shoes we can explore getting you bigger shoes.
5. Ethical: We deal with a great deal of valuable materials in our every day work. Not just the monetary value, the emotional value these pieces have as they are connected to the stories and souls of the people who care for them. Any deceit or false heart will greatly bring into question your ability to be a part of this family, now or any time in the future.
We created a long list of what we are looking for in a person, and I figured it would be good for you to see what we as a whole are looking for. Don't worry, you don't have to hit every nail on the head, we understand that every person is unique and has their own unique qualities to share. Here is the list of the qualities we value for a new addition to the family from all of us here at the studio: Ethical, warm, honest, humble, caring, decisive, understanding, passionate, knowledgeable, open-minded, people person, able to communicate, artistic, sincere, friendly, positive, organized, principled, charismatic, creative, spontaneous, sociable, committed, confident, organized, compassionate, a good listener, evolving, adaptable, filled with Love.
Responsibilities
In a small studio, we all watch out for each other. Some of the personal responsibilities you will have as a designer are:
- Welcoming people to the studio and working on a one on basis to create designs
- Communicating the process to the people who commission the work (businesses would call them customers, they're different here. I have yet to find the appropriate word)
- Documenting the design process
- Entering the orders into the computer
- Restoration/repair take in
- Keeping the design area clean and organized
- Calculating pricing for creating the designs
- Communicating the design to the jewelers
- Quality control and making sure the design is finished to the original concept
Tools
- Erik and Dallae, two amazing accomplished jewelers with a prodigious amount of experience and heart (Dallae is a GIA certified bench jeweler, master silversmith, used to teach the metals program at CSULB, and is published including 500 necklaces, Erik has over 14 years of experience and is a master gold and platinum smith)
- Matrix 3D CAD (Computer Aided Design) system
- Over 3,000 wax molds of parts and models
- GIA microscope
- Encouraged thinking/creative time
- We are working on building a collection of samples to show people including colors, textures and finishes of various metals
- A calming, high ceiling, open, filled with plants and good energy design center
- We design and build everything in house, so you get to see your designs being made from start to finish!
- Love and I's shared knowledge and passion
We all need to make money to do what we do and exist in this world. I would like to understand what you can contribute and what monetary compensation needs you have and would like to achieve. I am flexible and want you to achieve your financial needs and goals. Salary, salary plus commission, commission only, hourly, any combination or possibly even something completely different, just let me know!
Please e-mail about yourself, your experience, why this position intrigues you and what Love and consciousness mean to you. If you are interested in being a manager, please include that as well and why.
For a creative and expressive person, there is so much possibility here for you! I am looking forward to meeting you, sharing life, creation, challenges, passion, joy, and whatever else comes our way!
- Justin
EMAIL: abbeyjewelrystudio@gmail.com
If you answered yes to these questions and enjoy designing jewelry, please consider the Abbey Jewelry Studio as a venue to explore and make a difference in your life, the people you will work with and the world around you while making a living.
A little about the Abbey. The heart of the Abbey is Conscious, Sustainable, Toxin Free jewelry made with Love. We design, create and restore jewelry with Love, Integrity and Passion. Most people have no idea that creating jewelry hurts many lives, creates massive amounts of waste, much of it toxic, and actually contains toxic materials that can cause cancer as well as a myriad of health problems. As the founder, my goal is to spread awareness to the world of the true cost of jewelry, as well as showing that jewelry is possible to create that does good, is sustainable, and won't poison the people who wear it. We as the studio specialize in hand fabrication and craftsmanship of precious metals using the latest technology combined with traditional and experimental techniques. We design using stories and meaning, literally helping people to capture their souls in metal and stone. This studio is truly a place of creation and imagination. The studio has been filled with the best of our energy; Love, Compassion and integrity guides our consciousness and every decision we make.The studio itself is a calm, warm and open atmosphere filled with plants, recycled furniture, open space, color, exposed wood and metal, friends. We begin every day with a hug and end the same. Every person is here because our passion drives us, and we can't help but do what we do.
What we are looking for in a designer:
1. An open heart and mind: you will be experiencing in depth conversations into the hearts of peoples relationships and lives. An open mind will be integral to learning about people and helping them transfer their thoughts and feelings into jewelry.
2. Communication skills: you will be engaging with many people, and must be able to listen as well as articulate your thoughts and feelings. You will also be working with jewelers to create the designs, and will need to help them understand the nuances of the design. You will also be staying in communication and sharing the aspects of the creation process with the people you design for, and if you're interested with the world through the website, blog, and the organizations we are a part of and joining (Ethical Goldsmiths, Earthworks, Hands for Africa)
2.b Intuitive: a lot of the designing we do comes from intuitively listening to peoples hearts and stories and being able to decipher what is not said in addition to hearing what is.
3. Conscious: we are very conscious about the affects of our actions on the Earth, Society and the Health of all that is around us. We are looking for someone who feels the same way who can help us to grow in these areas.
4. Organized: staying on top of new orders and making sure they are organized and worked on in the right priority is a must. It is very easy to let orders and responsibilities fall through the cracks with so much going on at any time in the studio. We are also looking for a manager for the studio, so if your feet are too big for just the designers shoes we can explore getting you bigger shoes.
5. Ethical: We deal with a great deal of valuable materials in our every day work. Not just the monetary value, the emotional value these pieces have as they are connected to the stories and souls of the people who care for them. Any deceit or false heart will greatly bring into question your ability to be a part of this family, now or any time in the future.
We created a long list of what we are looking for in a person, and I figured it would be good for you to see what we as a whole are looking for. Don't worry, you don't have to hit every nail on the head, we understand that every person is unique and has their own unique qualities to share. Here is the list of the qualities we value for a new addition to the family from all of us here at the studio: Ethical, warm, honest, humble, caring, decisive, understanding, passionate, knowledgeable, open-minded, people person, able to communicate, artistic, sincere, friendly, positive, organized, principled, charismatic, creative, spontaneous, sociable, committed, confident, organized, compassionate, a good listener, evolving, adaptable, filled with Love.
Responsibilities
In a small studio, we all watch out for each other. Some of the personal responsibilities you will have as a designer are:
- Welcoming people to the studio and working on a one on basis to create designs
- Communicating the process to the people who commission the work (businesses would call them customers, they're different here. I have yet to find the appropriate word)
- Documenting the design process
- Entering the orders into the computer
- Restoration/repair take in
- Keeping the design area clean and organized
- Calculating pricing for creating the designs
- Communicating the design to the jewelers
- Quality control and making sure the design is finished to the original concept
Tools
- Erik and Dallae, two amazing accomplished jewelers with a prodigious amount of experience and heart (Dallae is a GIA certified bench jeweler, master silversmith, used to teach the metals program at CSULB, and is published including 500 necklaces, Erik has over 14 years of experience and is a master gold and platinum smith)
- Matrix 3D CAD (Computer Aided Design) system
- Over 3,000 wax molds of parts and models
- GIA microscope
- Encouraged thinking/creative time
- We are working on building a collection of samples to show people including colors, textures and finishes of various metals
- A calming, high ceiling, open, filled with plants and good energy design center
- We design and build everything in house, so you get to see your designs being made from start to finish!
- Love and I's shared knowledge and passion
We all need to make money to do what we do and exist in this world. I would like to understand what you can contribute and what monetary compensation needs you have and would like to achieve. I am flexible and want you to achieve your financial needs and goals. Salary, salary plus commission, commission only, hourly, any combination or possibly even something completely different, just let me know!
Please e-mail about yourself, your experience, why this position intrigues you and what Love and consciousness mean to you. If you are interested in being a manager, please include that as well and why.
For a creative and expressive person, there is so much possibility here for you! I am looking forward to meeting you, sharing life, creation, challenges, passion, joy, and whatever else comes our way!
- Justin
EMAIL: abbeyjewelrystudio@gmail.com
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Nickel White Gold Protection
This is a post I wrote a few weeks ago. I never put it up as we decided to completely remake the ring in a non toxic gold alloy so she wouldn't have any possible nickel or toxin exposure, but there is some good possibility along the vein we explored here for people who do not or cannot remake their jewelry:
Today I am working on a ring of someone special to me, and once again I am forced to overcome the shortsightedness and lack of consideration by this jewelry industry. Her fiance got her the ring because it was simple, which is what she wanted, white gold as it is precious and had a Canadian diamond for a touch of tradition (which was nice for them too as they're Canadian). However, at no time when he was purchasing the ring was he told what the white gold in the ring was alloyed with. Almost no one does, as it is not brought up during sales presentations and there aren't any pretty and lacy full page ads in bridal magazines talking about the perfect alloy to go with a sparkly new diamond. He proposed to her and she wore it every day as most newly engaged do. As time went on, she started to develop an itchy finger, which soon turned into a full blown rash. She was perplexed, and had no idea her body was trying to fight off and reject the ring. They had no idea the ring was alloyed with Nickel, a heavy metal that causes cancer with prolonged exposure, then shuts down the immune system so our bodies can't fight it. As well, once in the body, it is very difficult to get rid of. The ring is special because he gave it to her, and yet she can't wear it because she breaks out as soon as she puts it on.
After lots of brain storming and feeling my way around how to help her (you may have noticed a previous post says we weren't taking in any nickel white gold jewelry because it is unsafe to work with) I believe there is a way to help. The main problem is the contact with the skin, as it is absorbing the nickel which breaks down and leaches out of the ring from her sweat and chlorinates (pools, cleaning products, shampoo, tap water etc). The idea is, create a non-toxic and allergy free barrier (her body has already grown more sensitive to metals from her ordeal). A problem is, to put a liner inside we will have to make the ring larger as the liner will make the inside of the ring smaller. We can't size her ring by cutting or grinding as it will expose the jewelers themselves to the nickel in a much worse form, dust. Instead, we will be stretching the ring larger by cold forging. Very different from hot forging, which heats up the metal to the point it begins to de-gas which would release the nickel into the air as a vapor, worse than dust. We will cold forge by simply hammering the ring larger, preventing any release of nickel via dust or vapor into the air we breathe!
The liner itself will be made of platinum iridium, a non toxic and hypoallergenic alloy. We will make a tube, put it through the inside of the ring and fold it around the edge of the ring, then laser weld the liner to the ring to create a sealed and seamless barrier. No soldering, as that would result in the metal heating and degassing the nickel.
I am very excited about this, as it is a potential to help people who love their rings and either can't or don't want to remake them enjoy their jewelry without absorbing all the toxins contained within!
With Everything,
Justin
Today I am working on a ring of someone special to me, and once again I am forced to overcome the shortsightedness and lack of consideration by this jewelry industry. Her fiance got her the ring because it was simple, which is what she wanted, white gold as it is precious and had a Canadian diamond for a touch of tradition (which was nice for them too as they're Canadian). However, at no time when he was purchasing the ring was he told what the white gold in the ring was alloyed with. Almost no one does, as it is not brought up during sales presentations and there aren't any pretty and lacy full page ads in bridal magazines talking about the perfect alloy to go with a sparkly new diamond. He proposed to her and she wore it every day as most newly engaged do. As time went on, she started to develop an itchy finger, which soon turned into a full blown rash. She was perplexed, and had no idea her body was trying to fight off and reject the ring. They had no idea the ring was alloyed with Nickel, a heavy metal that causes cancer with prolonged exposure, then shuts down the immune system so our bodies can't fight it. As well, once in the body, it is very difficult to get rid of. The ring is special because he gave it to her, and yet she can't wear it because she breaks out as soon as she puts it on.
After lots of brain storming and feeling my way around how to help her (you may have noticed a previous post says we weren't taking in any nickel white gold jewelry because it is unsafe to work with) I believe there is a way to help. The main problem is the contact with the skin, as it is absorbing the nickel which breaks down and leaches out of the ring from her sweat and chlorinates (pools, cleaning products, shampoo, tap water etc). The idea is, create a non-toxic and allergy free barrier (her body has already grown more sensitive to metals from her ordeal). A problem is, to put a liner inside we will have to make the ring larger as the liner will make the inside of the ring smaller. We can't size her ring by cutting or grinding as it will expose the jewelers themselves to the nickel in a much worse form, dust. Instead, we will be stretching the ring larger by cold forging. Very different from hot forging, which heats up the metal to the point it begins to de-gas which would release the nickel into the air as a vapor, worse than dust. We will cold forge by simply hammering the ring larger, preventing any release of nickel via dust or vapor into the air we breathe!
The liner itself will be made of platinum iridium, a non toxic and hypoallergenic alloy. We will make a tube, put it through the inside of the ring and fold it around the edge of the ring, then laser weld the liner to the ring to create a sealed and seamless barrier. No soldering, as that would result in the metal heating and degassing the nickel.
I am very excited about this, as it is a potential to help people who love their rings and either can't or don't want to remake them enjoy their jewelry without absorbing all the toxins contained within!
With Everything,
Justin
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Dear Friends,
We are evolving. We are working to create a Conscious Jewelry Studio that Designs, Creates and Restores with environmentally & socially conscious materials and methods that are toxin free. As we will be spending a great deal of time, energy and resources exploring the environmental and health impact, we will be moving to an appointment only format.
Also, we currently do not understand the environmental and toxic impact of taking in repairs and restorations of NICKEL white gold jewelry. As such, we will be conducting research into how we can safely and consciously work on your jewelry. Until that time, we will no longer take in repairs and restorations of NICKEL white gold jewelry. If your white gold jewelry is alloyed with Palladium, it will not cause harm to our health and we are more than happy to take it in (all of our jewelry personally or custom made since 2/2010 is nickel free)
We thank you for your understanding as we work to give you the best of ourselves.
*The door is always open for anyone picking up.*
To set an appointment please call 714.524.9888
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
A Roadmap
To other jewelers and fabricators who stumble across this site: I am not here to attack the industry, I am working on building us a road map to sustainability!
The jewelry industry is one of the worst when it comes to being eco and socially conscious. Sadly more time and energy is spent marketing what little is being done, than really making a change. Mostly, this is because no one knows what or how to change!
If you are interested in becoming more environmentally and socially conscious, shoot me an email: abbeyjewelrystudio@gmail.com
Looking forward,
Justinder
The jewelry industry is one of the worst when it comes to being eco and socially conscious. Sadly more time and energy is spent marketing what little is being done, than really making a change. Mostly, this is because no one knows what or how to change!
If you are interested in becoming more environmentally and socially conscious, shoot me an email: abbeyjewelrystudio@gmail.com
Looking forward,
Justinder
Monday, May 30, 2011
Your Jewelry is Poisoning You - An Introduction to Toxic Jewelry
What makes jewelry toxic?
It is the metal. Not the gold or the silver or the platinum we are buying, it is all the other garbage that gets mixed in with it that we're not told about.
Fine Jewelry is sold as being precious. It has legally required hallmarks inside that tell of the purity of the metal you are buying. For example, if you purchase a wedding ring made of white gold and it is stamped inside 14K, it means 58.5% of the ring is gold. That means a whopping 41.5% of the rest of the ring is a complete mystery!
It is those other metals that get mixed in that are toxic. Most commonly, especially for white gold, is nickel. Nickel is carcinogenic. What does that mean? It causes cancer. Then it blocks your bodies immune system so you can't fight the cancer.
But the nickel is in the ring, it can't hurt me right? Wrong. Nickel easily breaks down when it is exposed to chlorinates. Chlorinates are found everywhere; dish soap, pools, hot tubs, tooth paste, food, even our tap water is saturated in chlorine! When that chlorine touches jewelry with nickel, it starts to dissolve the nickel which then gets absorbed into the skin.
Nickel isn't the only danger. Cadmium and lead are commonly found in jewelry as both alloys and joining materials used in repairs. Lead is very toxic, and over time leads to lead poisoning in adults, brain damage in children. However, it is the cute cuddly of the two. Cadmium is the most toxic of all the heavy metals. It is very toxic in even the smallest of doses, kills with larger doses, and there is no effective treatment for cadmium poisoning. The metal is seventh on the CDC's most hazardous substances list.
Jewelry is often toxic. The best way to prevent being poisoned by your jewelry is to not have toxic materials in your jewelry in the first place. If a jeweler says that those materials are just what there is, don't believe them, there are alternatives! Jewelers don't work with these alternatives because they are more difficult, more expensive or they just don't know or care. At the Abbey, toxin free jewelry is what we do.
If you are conscious about your health and the health of the ones you love, be conscious of the jewelry you wear and the jewelry you give.
Stay tuned to learn more about toxic jewelry and it's affects.
With opening eyes,
Justinder
It is the metal. Not the gold or the silver or the platinum we are buying, it is all the other garbage that gets mixed in with it that we're not told about.
Fine Jewelry is sold as being precious. It has legally required hallmarks inside that tell of the purity of the metal you are buying. For example, if you purchase a wedding ring made of white gold and it is stamped inside 14K, it means 58.5% of the ring is gold. That means a whopping 41.5% of the rest of the ring is a complete mystery!
It is those other metals that get mixed in that are toxic. Most commonly, especially for white gold, is nickel. Nickel is carcinogenic. What does that mean? It causes cancer. Then it blocks your bodies immune system so you can't fight the cancer.
But the nickel is in the ring, it can't hurt me right? Wrong. Nickel easily breaks down when it is exposed to chlorinates. Chlorinates are found everywhere; dish soap, pools, hot tubs, tooth paste, food, even our tap water is saturated in chlorine! When that chlorine touches jewelry with nickel, it starts to dissolve the nickel which then gets absorbed into the skin.
Nickel isn't the only danger. Cadmium and lead are commonly found in jewelry as both alloys and joining materials used in repairs. Lead is very toxic, and over time leads to lead poisoning in adults, brain damage in children. However, it is the cute cuddly of the two. Cadmium is the most toxic of all the heavy metals. It is very toxic in even the smallest of doses, kills with larger doses, and there is no effective treatment for cadmium poisoning. The metal is seventh on the CDC's most hazardous substances list.
Jewelry is often toxic. The best way to prevent being poisoned by your jewelry is to not have toxic materials in your jewelry in the first place. If a jeweler says that those materials are just what there is, don't believe them, there are alternatives! Jewelers don't work with these alternatives because they are more difficult, more expensive or they just don't know or care. At the Abbey, toxin free jewelry is what we do.
If you are conscious about your health and the health of the ones you love, be conscious of the jewelry you wear and the jewelry you give.
Stay tuned to learn more about toxic jewelry and it's affects.
With opening eyes,
Justinder
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
I am insignificant
I am one of 7 billion humans on this planet. Humans are one of 100 million species on the planet earth. The earth is one planet of 8 circling the sun. The sun is one star amongst 200 billion in the Milky Way Galaxy, many with their own system of planets. The Milky Way is one of 200 billion galaxies. Those 200 billion galaxies comprise only 4.6% of the known universe, the rest is dark matter and dark energy. Our universe is 78 billion light years across (correction: due to the expansion of space-time our universe is 156 billion light years across). Our universe is one of an infinite number of universes along an infinite number of timelines amongst an infinite number of dimensions containing an infinite number of universes along an infinite number of timelines. What I do is not significant. Yet every choice is my own, and that is significant to me.
Searching...
Justinder
Searching...
Justinder
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