hey everyone welcome to etsy feature of the week
and todays feature is gardens of the sun owned by Meri, a unique jewellery shop
that specialises with raw diamonds, jems and pearls.
"I am Dutch, married to a very
handsome German and living in Indonesia. We have a one year old daughter. I am
working on sustainability issues in the tropical forestry sector, and try to
make the world a slightly better place. I love making things myself and I love
food. I make my own cheese and yoghurt as it's hard to find here!
The
name of the shop, Gardens of the Sun, comes from an old journal about Borneo
island written by an explorer from the 19th century. I love exploring and
discovering, and Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo, is a world of
inspiration for me. I have spent quite some time there for my studies and
work.
I absolutely love to use diamonds, colorful gemstones and pearls.
I have decided to focus on raw diamond and rough gemstone jewelry for the
future, as I adore their imperfections. These are also the most popular items
in my shop. I spend hours going through lots of gemstones and diamonds picking
out the most beautiful rocks and selecting approximate pairs. I'm obsessed with
finding special stones, such as color shifting gemstones, and clear rocks with
inclusions. It's a completely intrinsic motivation to find beauty in what is
already there and create something even more beautiful.
I started making
jewelry when I was in university, studying tropical forestry. I was in
Indonesia for fieldwork, and while traveling I purchased these amazing
gemstones in South Kalimantan, and freshwater pearls on the island of Lombok. I
just made jewelry for myself and for friends and family. Years later, I
discovered Etsy. When my daughter was a year old I was in need of a creative
outlet, and the shop was born.
Working with my hands gives me a break
from the stress at work, as I become completely absorbed with what I am doing
at the very moment. I often don't hear people talking to me because I am so
concentrated!
For me, sustainability is a primary concern. It's not only
my daytime job, it is a mindset. I therefore try to purchase diamonds primarily
from sources that can assure me that the diamonds are mined in accordance with
the Kimberly process and are not subsidizing violent conflict. Actually I am
looking into buying diamonds mined in Indonesia, as it will be easier for me to
track the mine and assess the mining conditions. I try to use scraps for my
shagreen stingray leather jewelry. And I try to use packaging from recycled,
reused and natural material, or boxes that can be used again. I love my dyed
banana leafs for wrapping gifts, so colorful and special! Another example are
my little rattan jewelry boxes. "
quoted from Meri.
You can use the coupon code FREESHIPPING for orders over
$50.
also coupon code CHANTELLE10 for 10%
discount until the 31st of December.
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