Handcrafted Jewelry News from a Maine Jewelry Store

Earrings and Company has joined the bead frenzy!  We added Chamilia to our line up in November and what a great response we’ve had.  Chamilia is a competitor of Pandora charm bracelets and necklaces. Pandora is the brand most widely known because it has been around much longer.  We chose Chamilia for two reasons: 1- it is family owned and operated in America (Minneapolis to be exact) and 2 – the bead designs are intricate, fresh and bright.

All the beads are designed by Killian Rieder, the founder and owner.  Although the  sterling and gold beads are made overseas, the amazing glass beads are made in Atlanta, Georgia of Murano canes imported directly from Italy.

I’ve been thinking about the economy lately – who hasn’t?  Seems to me if people bought things produced in the U.S. things might start to turn around.  Ok, maybe that seems like a stretch these days when everything is made in China.

What if we started on the local level?  Think of the small independently owned stores you know.  Many of the products they sell might not be American made.  But the store itself helps support the local community by employing people and paying taxes.

I read somewhere recently that Maine had only 90 independent farms in 1990.  Now, there are over 400.  Why?  Restaurants started demanding locally grown produce, eggs and meats.  They taste better!  So they got together with farmers and now they both profit.

Change comes from the bottom up not from the top down.