Michelle takes us into the heart of gem craft, history, lore, and practice from her own perspective as a jeweler Witch digging deep into the ethics of her craft in order to answer her daughter’s question: where does this come from?
“There is a sacredness to creating jewelry that looks like the world inside my heart, my soul, and my dreams. Working with my raw materials, gemstones and precious metals, I create jewelry as personal symbols and story keepers for you to wear and pass down for generations.”
Michelle Pajak-Reynolds became a licensed Fairmined gold jewelry designer in 2018.
Fairmined gold supports artisanal small-scale miners around the world. Fairmined certification, through the Alliance for Responsible Mining, enforces strict standards for mining practices including ethical and sustainable methods protecting the health and well-being of the miners and the environment.
Michelle’s sterling silver jewelry designs feature the highest quality 100% recycled sterling silver sourced from United States based suppliers.
Ever curious about the mining process and committed to intensely researching the raw materials for her jewelry, Michelle began mining the gemstones for her designs in 2019. Her Mira collection (and all forthcoming collections) feature ethically sourced gemstones that are traceable to the mine (whenever possible) and country of origin.
Michelle is also a member of Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America (MJSA) and proudly abides by their code of ethics and standards.
LINKS
Chicago Responsible Jewelry Conferencehttps://www.chiresponsiblejewelryconference.com/
Ethical Metalsmiths https://ethicalmetalsmiths.org/
Ethical Gold: Fairmined Gold vs Recycled Gold A Fair Comparisonhttps://fairmined.org/ethical-gold-recycled-gold-comparision/
Moyo Gems – Ethical Gemstones https://moyogems.com/
Gold Flows from Venezuela: Supporting Due Diligence on the Production and Trade of Gold in Venezuela by Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development /content/files/gold-flows-from-venezuela-supporting-due-diligence-on-the-production-and-trade-of-gold.pdf
Christina T Miller Responsible Jewelry Consultinghttps://www.christinatmiller.com/
Free Responsible Sourcing Roadmap PDF is available on her site
Nicholas Pearsonhttps://theluminouspearl.com/
Mira Collection: Modern Talisman Jewelry Inspired by Ancient Landscapes https://michellepajakreynolds.com/journal/mira-modern-talisman-jewelry-inspired-by-ancient-landscapes
Gemstone Spotlight: Sapphire https://michellepajakreynolds.com/journal/gemstone-spotlight-sapphire
Sparkle A Plenty: Mining for Herkimer Diamond Quartz Crystals in Herkimer New York https://michellepajakreynolds.com/journal/sparkle-a-plenty-mining-for-herkimer-diamond-quartz-crystals-in-herkimer-new-york
BOOKS
The Curious Lore of Precious Stones by George Frederick Kunz
Gems and Precious Stones of North America by George Frederick Kunz
The Book of Stones: Who They Are & What The Teach (Revised Edition) by Robert Simmons and Naisha Ahsian
Gems in Myth Legend and Lore by Bruce G. Knuth
