I. A Statement Watch:

With the proliferation of technology in terms of hand held devises (mobile phones, Blackberry/Trio Palm etc.) we have no real need for a watch, which is why watches have become even more like a piece of jewelry.

Look for a beautiful and unique handcrafted or artisan jewelry style watch that reflects your personality.

Pangea Collection presents three styles of wire watches handcrafted by a local Toronto designer.

Artisan Jewelry - unique handcrafted watch

II. A Classic Necklace:

It doesn’t have to be a string of pearls, if you don’t love pearls, find another classic looking material that you do love. It could be a sterling silver or gold link necklace or a string of semi precious stones.

Here are a couple of style suggestions from Pangea Collection, the first is handmade silver jewelry from Taxco Mexico.

Handmade Silver Link Necklace, Mexican jewelry

Sterling Silver Link Necklace

The second is a classic semi precious jewelry piece from a local Toronto jewelry artisan.

Citrine Necklace

III. A Cocktail Ring

If it works for you go with a bolder statement here, if you are more subtle tone down of the size but not the style.

In terms of bold, chunky with a large size stone (imitation or genuine) can be a perfect compliment to a little black dress.

For a more subtle look but stylish choose a band that has intricate detailing on it so the focus is on the detail not the size.

Here are a couple of suggestions from Pangea Collection, the first is a handcrafted wood ring from Brazil, the second is fair trade jewelry from Chile and the third is a handmade silver ring from the Bali Artisan Jewelry Collection.

Brazilian Chrysophase & Silver Ring

Brazilian Wood Ring

Chilean Stone & Silver Ring

Fair trade jewelry Chilean Silver and Semi precious stone ring

Balinese Silver Band

Handmade silver jewelry ring

IV. An Elegant Bracelet or Bangle

Whether it is a tennis bracelet, a link bracelet, a strand of semi precious stones or an elegant bangle, having one of these makes it a simple elegant way to complete an outfit

The following are style suggestions from Pangea Collection. The first is a classic with a bit of whimsy, a handmade silver link bracelet with heart pendant from the Mexican Handmade Silver Jewelry Collection. The second and third are both from the Bali Artisan Jewelry Collection.

Heart Pendant Link Bracelet

Balinese Onyx & Silver Bead Bracelet

Artisan jewelry - Onyx and Silver Bracelet

Balinese Silver Bangle

Silver Bangle Jewelry, Handmade Silver Jewelry

V. Two Pair of Earrings

If you wear earrings it’s a good idea to have a bolder loop or dangling style and a more classic set such as pearls or diamonds (or imitation).

In many cases the style of earrings, or the choice to wear them will depend on your hairstyle and your facial features/proportions.
If you wear your hair up or behind the ears, the earrings will be visible, if not you may want to skip the earrings and opt for a necklace as the focal point.

A couple examples:

Loop Earrings

Chandelier Earrings

Long Bali Chandelier Earrings

VI. A Piece with Meaning

This could be a family piece or a piece you picked up on your travels. A keepsake that you can pass on and share its story.

VII. A Couple of Pure Fun Pieces

Have a few fun or trendy pieces that reflect the current season/trends. These can be paired with a casual outfit to help you feel fun and current.

Here are some style suggestions:

Bell Flower Eco Tagua Seed Necklace

Indian Hand Painted Fair Trade Wood Bangles

Tagua Eco Seed Necklace

The above are suggested pieces to have in your jewelry box, but they’re a guideline rather than hard and fast rules. There is a lot more flexibility now in making a statement that reflects our individuality rather than “playing by the rules”. So if you don’t like to wear earrings than don’t feel obligated to have earrings in your collection. If you hate pearls, opt for another stone that you do love.

For the classic pieces invest in quality. In the long run this will save money as you will have a classic piece that will look fabulous for years and you won’t have to keep buying new jewelry every year.

Take care of your jewelry with proper storage and being careful not to spray it with perfume or lotions or bang them while wearing.

Have fun, wear it with love.

I have often been to countries where for the most part the citizens are struggling to make a living and women tourists are flashing big diamond rings and all kinds of other expensive jewelry. Personally I think this is an invitation for a robbery. My suggestion is this, leave your valuables at home.

When I moved to Europe to work as an International Brand Director, I knew that I would be travelling to various parts of the world and while I wanted a symbol of my marriage on my finger, I did not want to be wearing my diamond. I asked my husband to buy me a very simple inexpensive wedding band (we paid less than $100 for it). I wore that when I was travelling.

I also suggest that you take fashion jewelry with you but also in limited quantities, not because it may be stolen but because you might want to go shopping while on vacation and pick up lots of wonderful artisan jewelry pieces. You’ll need the room to pack them!

Happy travels and shopping

Vegetal Ivory is also referred to as corozo. Vegetal Ivory comes from the Tagua nut species found in the equatorial tropics of the South American rain forest and also in the Caribbean. When nut is dried out it can be carved into an ivory replica. Vegetal Ivory is the perfect substitute for ivory, as it saves the lives of the African elephants, and stimulates the growth of the South American and Caribbean economies. You can see corozo seed jewelry and tagua nut jewelry at Pangea-Collection.com in the Caribbean Artisan Jewelry Collection and the Ecuadorian Artisan Jewelry Collection.

The interview highlights some beautiful fair trade jewelry from around the world. Pieces include unique handcrafted jewelry from India, Ecuador, Thailand, Nepal. These pieces highlight the distinctive artisan jewelry traditions which date back centuries.

Here are some shots:

Ugandan Collection

This Collection represents the bead and jewelry craft work of a group of over 20 women in various parts of Uganda. The women in the group are widows, single mothers or students.

For these women the unique handcrafted jewelry that they create as a part of this group is the primary or sole source of income. It provides them with a means to attain medical treatment and educate their children.

There are two different jewelry styles in the Collection, recycled paper bead jewelry and wood seed jewelry.

The recycled paper beads are made from old waste paper especially magazines and other paper of similar texture. To create the beads, the magazines are cut into appropriate widths and lengths depending on the intended finished bead size. The paper pieces are rolled onto a needle in order to maintain a simple hole. As the paper is rolled onto the needle it is glued to make a tightly rolled bead. The beads are dipped in varnish and hung to dry in the sun to provide a pretty polished finish. It takes three days to create the beads from beginning to finished bead. A typical jewelry artisan can assemble 20 necklaces in a day.

Fair Trade is a trading partnership that seeks equity in international trade. It is intended to contribute sustainable development by offering better trading conditions as well as ensuring the rights of marginalised producers and workers, especially in developing countries.

Fair Trade organisations aim to generate awareness in an effort to promote change in the rules and practice of conventional international trade. Fair Trade’s main objectives are to:

• Work with marginalised producers and workers in an effort to aid them in achieving self reliance
• Empower producers and workers as stakeholders in their own organisations
• Actively play a role in the global marketplace in helping to achieve greater equity in international trade

Wherever possible Pangea-Collection.com is committed to working with Fair Trade organisations and small independent jewelry artisans around the globe. This business philosophy guides the Pangea Collection buying practices and supplier selection.

Pangea Collection’s goal is to do our part in enabling artisans, particularly women and those living in developing markets, to earn an income through the practice of their craft. In our own small way Pangea Collection is working towards supporting the livelihoods of these skilled jewelry artisans. In many cases their crafts are the living expression of deep cultural traditions and Pangea Collection, along with the Fair Trade organisations with which we work, believe in the importance of the preservation of these cultures. We also believe that interpretation and the evolution of such crafts are important for their long-term sustainability.

Explore the Fair Trade Jewelry at Pangea Collection, for beautiful pieces including earrings, necklaces, rings, bracelets, pendants and more. Collections include, Nepalese artisan jewelry, jewelry from India, Ecuadorian artisan jewelry, Kenyan artisan jewelry, Thailand jewelry and Chilean artisan jewelry.