All of my favorite jewelry is from Etsy.

For those who may not know me I need to start with this, I have a shopping addiction. If you're reading this blog, you probably know that. I'd like to think that I've gotten a lot better from where I used to be, mostly because I cannot afford to fill up my gas tank and also buy 7 sweaters in one day. Over the last couple of years, I've purchased A LOT of costume jewelry, but the problem with cheap jewelry is that it almost alway breaks, or starts to look gross with tarnish.


 In the last year, in building up my student teaching wardrobe, I've started purchasing more and more jewelry from Etsy.com. Etsy is a website where artisans can list handmade jewelry, among other goods, and the cost is relatively reasonable. 


Also the quality of the jewelry seems to hold up much better than any of my other purchases. 


These are some of my favorites:

Vermeil baby owl charm that I've dubbed Simon.

Vermeil & crystal earrings.

Vermeil initial charm....mine has an A on it. 

Beaded & ceramic rose earrings.

Wooden crane brooch that I wear on my blazers at work.

Earring frame that I bought to display my collection in my room.

White & CZ encrusted clover necklace.

Black & vermeil clover necklace.

Matching earrings to my white clover necklace.

Turquoise resin rose studs.

What I love about Etsy is that for the most part it is independently run. The artists are charged a fee for their listings, but overall they receive all of the proceeds & shipping costs for their goods. They accept paypal, which is wonderful, and dangerous at the same time. 


Most of my jewelry that I've purchased is vermeil, which is an amazing invention. Vermeil is a mixture of silver with gold, often gold filled, which puts it in a more "fine jewelry" category. Vermeil does not tarnish like sterling silver, but it still has that matte gold finish that I adore. It looks like it's worth a whole lot more than I've actually paid for it, and it goes with all of my outfits.


A lot of the artists also package the jewelry in little boxes with cotton, which is wonderful for gifting. 


I know I'm not the first person to discover etsy, but now that my iphone has the etsy addict app, I'm sure I could never stop buying from the site.