The Blog — le chien noir jewelry

Happy New Year to all my wonderful customers and followers! If you're not already a subscriber, head over to Le Chien Noir Jewelry to sign up to be the first to hear about new work and specials - and get a nice discount while you're at it! I finished off the year with a big sale that helped clear out much of my inventory, so now I get to create new work to fill the gaps! This is without a doubt the best part of jewelry-making: the actual making! It's very inspiring to be able to design new pieces around my...

You might not know that I only became a full-time jewelry-maker when I was 51. At 18, I took a course and was seriously bitten by the metalsmithing bug. Then I did an apprenticeship with a local jeweler one summer. Working with metals is so addictive! I got sidetracked into journalism and ended up writing and editing for about 30 years, which worked well when my kids were young. But I'd always hoped to get back to jewelry. I finally took a refresher course when I was 50 and that was that! I started with a tiny studio in a little porch in Toronto. And more courses....

Now that travel is possible again, I thought I'd talk about what jewelry to take on your trips. My main piece of advice is to keep it simple. I like to focus on one great sterling silver statement ring, cuff or necklace and keep the rest very minimal. For instance, on my last trip to the city for a couple of nights and two events, I took a big, glowy sterling statement cuff, which would have been enough on its own. I also wore my minimalist, go-with-everything 1cm cupped disc earrings. They're interesting, with their blackened cups and shiny silver rims, but simple...

There are so many reasons to choose handmade jewelry over mass-produced. Here are a few reasons to opt for handmade: 1) They're made by a jeweler's or artisan's actual hands, meaning they're going to be unique! 2) Jewelry makers are highly likely to choose more sustainable, ethically sourced  materials, making handmade jewelry a greener purchase. 3) When jewelry is handmade, it's often more likely to be made from better quality materials, and the final product is more likely to be better quality. 4) Small studios are better able to create exactly what they want to create, so chances are good you'll...