Everyone should buy a piece of jewelry every now and again. Next time you feel like adding a new sparkly piece of bling to your jewelry box, search for upcycled jewelry pieces first. To help you start your search, we’ve rounded up a few jewelry shops that specialize in making upcycled jewelry, taking the planet into consideration as well as style.

1. RomantiquarianDesign, an Etsy shop

While this shop sells quite a few different pieces, I was drawn to this upcycled Scrabble necklace. It features a vintage, wooden Scrabble piece that’s adorned with brass trinkets and chain. This item is priced at $24.50 and handmade.

2. Pearlreef, an Etsy Shop

Alas, most women can’t grow luscious facial hair. But if you purchase this pair of mustache earrings, you can easily display your love for dapper facial hair on your ears. These earrings are made from recycled bike tires and are priced at $8.

3. 31 Bits

31 Bits goal is to “empower people through the fashion industry.” The company’s jewelry is made from recycled paper fashioned into the shape of beads. Each piece is incredibly unique. Women in Uganda make the jewelry and earn an income that allows them to support their families.

The piece I’ve featured here is perfect for festival season. It’s called The Free Spirit and goes for $36.

4. Upcycledjewelry, an Etsy Shop

These earrings are perfect for the tech-loving gal. This piece is handmade and prominently features its main material: an upcycled circuit board. This piece is priced at $20.

Do you own any pieces of upcycled jewelry? If so, share what shop you snagged your pieces from in the comment section. We’d love to hear about other Earth-friendly businesses.

Related on EcoSalon

5 Awesome DIY Projects to Upcycle and Recycle Bras

4 Ways to Upcycle Plastic Bottles

Green Your Junk: 16 Creative Ways to Upcycle Before You Recycle

Image: 31 Bits Facebook page

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It’s officially the holiday season! As we decorate our living spaces with bright holly and cheerful trimmings to soften the cold weather outside, don’t forget to carry that sparkle over to our style. Below are some fun metallic holiday fashion trends for 2013, pieces to carry the holiday cheer throughout the season—and as always our roundup is from the brightest picks of eco fashion. 

1. Cream Eye Shadow by RMS Beauty

RMS Beauty is a top natural beauty line created by celebrity makeup artist Rose-Marie Swift. These simmering eyeshadows are made with ingredients that support natural beauty and promote long-term health. Made with raw mineral pigments, these cream eye shadows double as a moisturizer for your lids because rms Beauty is all about the “synergistic interchange” between their products and your skin. Packed in recyclable glass containers with an air-tight lid to preserve freshness, these cream eyeshadows won’t dry out.

rms beauty, $28

2. Manta Ray Ring by Alkemie

Alkemie jewelry is one of our favorites. Run by a husband and wife team based out of Topanga Canyon, in California, they are continually inspired by the nature around them. Alkemie jewelry is made from 100% reclaimed metals, and handmade in Los Angeles. This ring of a Manta Ray is a reminder of the inherent value in spending time with yourself, and being peaceful in your own skin—just like the Manta Ray.

Alkemie, $176

3. Large Heart Necklace by See Me

The universal symbol of a heart resinates everywhere, but this necklace isn’t just any heart. See Me works with victims of domestic violence in Turkey and Tunisia, offering employment, escape and community by using their artisan skills to hand craft these beautiful pieces. See Me is dedicated to providing sustainable work, not charity. “Each heart is unique, just like yours.”

See Me, 123 euros

4. Metallic Gold Pillow Cover by Kyle Wayne Taylor Home

A great Etsy find, these pillow covers are a modern addiction to any color scheme. Handmade 100% cotton covers are handmade in Williamsburg, Virginia. You could even get crafty, and wrap a gift in them!

Etsy, $35 each

5. Relaxed Blazer and Pleated Mini Skirt by SUNO

SUNO is a high-end label with sustainability embedded in their DNA—a great example of a brand that is both design-driven and sustainability minded. All SUNO clothing is made in New York City a few blocks from their design studio. Sophistication meets edge with this metallic blazer and skirt combo.

Relaxed Blazer, $477

Pleated Mini Skirt, $405

6. Katherine Shell Clutch by KAYU

KAYU is a California based label founded by South East Asia native Jamie Lim. Jamie’s upbringing was surrounded by artisanal craft and KAYU is an ode to preserving and cultivating the survival of traditional techniques, and economically supporting the artisans. This clutch is intricately laid with mother of pearl shell onto a hand-carved wooden base. A percentage of each sale is donated to education and health initiatives in the area it was made.

Minz, $590

7.  Large Wood-Carved Journal by Raven + Lily

Raven + Lily is a B Corporation, an Ethical Fashion Forum award winner, and one of the most widely know eco-fashion brands. This beautiful journal is hand-carved from wood and bound with vegetable-tanned leather. Fair trade made by women in northern India, proceeds from the sale of this notebook go to fund literacy programs for the women artisans and children in the community.

Raven + Lily, $24

Want more On Trend? See Also:

Eco Fashion Brands Prove Beauty in Simplicity With Burgundy and Basics On Trend

 The Unbelievable Value of Upcycling Clothes 7 Ways: On Trend

On Trend: Dark and Tan – The Smartly Sexy Fall 2013 Color Trends

Covering Up With Ethical and Organic Leggings: On Trend 

Personality Pops With Patterned Pants: On Trend

Images from the eco fashion brands, collage by Juliette Donatelli

Keep in touch with Juliette on twitter @spadesandsiLK

The post Metallic Holiday Fashion Trends 2013: On Trend appeared first on EcoSalon.

ColumnNine statement necklaces that simply cannot be ignored.

The best and perhaps easiest way to elevate a simple look to a new level is by adding a statement necklace — the kind that truly packs a visual punch and simply cannot be ignored. Here are nine of our standout favorites, all consciously made, which ensures that you are making the right kind of statement.

1. Radial Necklace by Erin Considine
Made from recycled cast brass, sewn and handwaxed cotton, handbraided cotton and oxidized vintage snake chain, and dyed with logwood, this eye-catching necklace by Erin Considine is the perfect mix of elegant and outrageous. It’s guaranteed to not go unnoticed.
$450, Erin Considine

2. 50 Year Necklace by Lulu Frost
This one-of-a-kind necklace is Lulu Frost’s take on a history lesson. It’s made by elements that span a century, including a champagne cut-steel buckle from the late 19th Century, Czech celluloid buckles and hand-carved maroon bakelite from the ’30s, “harmoniously united on brass brick chain with adjustable lobster closure.”
$900, Lulu Frost

3. Desert Rose Necklace by Gretchen Jones NYC
This porcupine fringe necklace by Project Runway winner Gretchen Jones is a little bit disco and a little bit hippie — perfect for you urban bohemians out there (you know who you are).
$245, Gretchen Jones NYC

4. Long Mixed Box Chain Necklace by Kirsten Muenster Jewelry
Made entirely by hand, in Muenster’s San Francisco studio, this box chain necklace is available in oxidized brass or oxidized bronze. Due to the custom nature of the piece, it can be made in any size desired. We love that it’s both tough and delicate at the same time.
$800, Kirsten Muenster Jewelry

5. Trinity Necklace by Delusions of Grandeur
This necklace, shown here in shock pink, butterscotch and gold, but available in many other colorways, just puts a smile on your face. Made from lightweight cast acrylic and gold filled wire “the Trinity forms a unique contour around your neck emphasizing asymmetric focal points while you remain the center of attention.” We like the sound of that.
$64, Delusions of Grandeur

6. Crochet Chain Necklace by Kaight
Crocheted and woven using vintage brass chain, this his necklace is truly a showstopper. Reminiscent of both chainmail and vintage lace, it’s discrete enough to wear to work, but packs enough sparkle for a night on the town. Each piece is unique and handmade in Brooklyn.
$98, Kaight

7. Hette Turquoise Necklace by Gemma Redux
Like all Gemma Redux pieces, this turquoise and 18K gold plate necklace is handcrafted in the label’s studio in New York City. Because all pieces are made to order, allow two weeks for your order to be completed and shipped.
$216, Gemma Redux

8. Necklace No. 5-05 by Iacoli & McAllister
Featuring powder coated brass and un-coated brass square tubes that hang from black ultra suede, this necklace is at once serious and playful. Un-coated brass will tarnish and get darker and duller with time, something the designers, who make all pieces by hand in their Seattle studio, say drew them to the material.
$58, Iacoli & McAllister

9. Raidne Gold Collar Necklace by Gemma Redux
Made from solid metal, with 18K gold plating and a silver tone chain, this collar necklace makes a truly powerful statement. Hand made to order in New York City, it is also available in a great gunmetal finish.
$248, Gemma Redux

Photos courtesy of the designers, top collage by Johanna Björk

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Sleep-away camp crafts get a stylish Gretchen Jones DIY makeover.

I’m a collector of the natural kind. Rarely do I go on a hike, to the beach or park without scavenging up some relic from nature to take home with me to my apartment in Brooklyn. Being environmentally disconnected from grass and trees has made me want to integrate it into my life in new ways, even as accessories.

Today’s DIY was quite literally inspired from the overflowing bounty of driftwood that sprinkles my household’s corners, baskets and shelves. When I bring such findings home with me, I sometimes think to myself- “self, what on earth are you going to do with this once it’s home?”
So today is the day I put some sweet natural scores to good use.  

Being stylish to me has very little to do with how much money you have in your checkbook, and far more to do with the resourcefulness and imaginative ideals one can come up with on their own.
I asked myself how I could translate all these treasures into an earthy, hand crafted and playful version that spoke to my memories of my craft store scores decades ago.< With only a few hours, a few supplies and a very easy to follow set of instructions, you too can create a DIY necklace that makes you yearn for sleepover camp craft rooms and hazy summer days where what might be stuck in your braces had more precedence than how your lipstick clashed with your shoes.

I might not wear friendship bracelets anymore, but trade me something like this and I’ll be your best friend forever!

Supplies

• Fimo Dough in the Colors of your Choice [Available at most Craft Stores]
• Acrylic Paint to Mix/Match Fimo Selection
• Paint Brush
• Driftwood or a Twig/Branch of your liking
• Yarn, String or Fishing Line for Stringing Beads
• Tape
• Scissors

Beads

• Mix & Match Custom Fimo colors by Needing colors together.
• Roll into balls of varying sizes to your liking
• With a toothpick create holes in each bead approx 1/8″ wide for easy threading
• Lay beads on cookie sheet lined with tin foil/wax paper
• Bake at 275 degrees for 15 minutes
• Let cool

Driftwood Art

• Pour out colors for mixing onto plate
• Use paintbrush to mix/match custom color palette to match beads
• With pencil, etch out design onto wood for tracing lines
• Carefully paint in design to your liking (There are no rules. Do what you want.)
• Let air dry

Stringing

• After letting beads cool [while paint on driftwood is drying] start stringing beads
• Choose amount of beaded sway below the piece of driftwood you want and mark
• Mark driftwood back and tape/tack string in place so beads are fixed below.
• Finish beading to desired length
• Tie knot to fix sides for clean finish [**Measure head to make sure necklace can fit over without breaking]
• Voila! One custom summer brights Nature vs. Urban Yoked necklace!

Designer Gretchen Jones is a New York City designer creating under her own eponymous label. Jones was also the winner of Project Runway Season 8.

The post DIY Friendship Necklaces with Gretchen Jones as Camp Counselor appeared first on EcoSalon.

Clossette’s Yuka Yoneda revamps vintage treasures for a living, but her favorite closet pieces are two family heirlooms that are perfect just as they are.

As Senior Editor of Inhabitat and Founder of style blog and revamped vintage fashion shop Clossette, Yuka Yoneda is a whirlwind of creativity. In the DIY section of Clossette she will teach you, among other things, how to turn your boyfriend’s T-shirt into a cute tank top, how to turn a sad-looking pillow into a summery top and, my personal favorite, how to make a Chanel scarf into a silk tank. Some things take some serious guts to put the scissors too, but luckily courage is not something that Yuka lacks in the fashion department. While, for work, she finds vintage treasures and remakes them, her favorite wardrobe pieces are two family heirlooms that are perfect just as they are.

“The first is a gold zodiac Tiffany medallion from the 70s that belonged to my dad,” says Yoneda. “It has a Libra sign on it (both of us are October babies) and the fact that he owned such a pimp piece makes me imagine that he was some kind of ladies’ man before he became a dad. I actually have a stack of photos of him surrounded by pretty girls with feathered hair and bell bottoms, which further leads me to believe that this hypothesis is true.”

She continues: “My dad isn’t around anymore but when I wear this medallion, it reminds me of my favorite memories of him, which ironically, aren’t very stylish at all. In fact, one of them is how we used to mix together SlimFast shakes (I was a more-than-just-chubby child and he had a middle age belly), chug them and then go get fast food, which, as you know, totally defeats the purpose of a meal replacement drink. A friend of a friend recently saw the medallion and it turns out her dad has the same one, though it’s a different sign. I wonder how many of our dads rocked a necklace like this one way back when!”

Yuka Yoneda wearing her dad’s medallion in one of her daily look posts for Clossette.

Inheriting something from our parents or grandparents not only makes us of think of them every time we wear it, but it also reminds us of the lives they had before we even knew them. Carrying on a legacy through style is a great way to honor our heritage as well as our ancestors, no matter how near or far they may be.

“The second piece is a gold ring that my grandmother gave me from her own collection last summer when I visited her in Japan, says Yoneda. “It’s definitely not a ring for the faint of heart — it’s big, gold and gaudy! — but if you know my style, that’s kind of what I’m all about. All of my girlfriends wear silver or platinum but I might as well be Goldmember from Austin Powers — ‘I luff goooold.’ So when my grandma handed me this ring all wrapped in tissues, I immediately saw it and felt it was made just for me. If I saw it in a jewelry case, I know I would love it more than any of the others there, and the fact that my grandma felt that same way about it so many years ago, despite trends or how styles may have changed, means the world to me.”

Really great pieces have the power to transcend cultures, something Yoneda proves by taking a piece purchased in Japan many decades ago and a piece purchased at Tiffanys in the 70s and seamlessly incorporating both into her NYC-girl closet.

True style never fades.

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Anna Griffin, Editor-in-Chief of Coco Eco, found her favorite piece—this show-stopping vintage dress— while styling Gossip Girl actress Kelly Rutherford for a magazine cover.

Anna Griffin is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Coco Eco Magazine, the first fashion glossy to go completely digital when it was launched in 2008. A native of London, Griffin now calls Los Angeles home and her style is the perfect mix of European sophistication and California-girl sassy. The most special piece in her wardrobe is a vintage 1980s Rifat Ozbek knit dress that has been worn by movie stars and featured on magazine covers.

“It’s a bit of a traffic-stopper being rainbow striped and somewhat figure hugging, and reminds me of my coming-of-age in the late eighties and early nineties,” Anna says. “I grew up on the outskirts of London, with a fashion designer sister who had a steady stream of Vogue and Elle magazines coming through the mailbox. It was the dawn of the supermodel-era, and Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Stephanie Seymour were its stars. A time of glamour and excess, it was played out by designers like Versace and Galliano in music videos by George Michael, and was a fabulously fun time in London and the fashion industry. Ozbek, Turkish born but London raised, was a revered British Designer of the Year in 1988 and 1992, and perfectly defined this era adding his own indelible imprint.”

Like a true style icon, Griffin views her closet as an extension of complement to her life.

Fast-forward to November 2009, and a wardrobe pull with Coco Eco’s Fashion Editor, Sarah Griffin Berns. “We were at Sielian’s Vintage Boutique on LA’s Melrose Avenue, for our Jan-Feb ’10 cover shoot with Kelly Rutherford,” Anna recalls. “As we scoured the racks, this spectacular dress jumped out at me, and although it wasn’t in keeping with Sarah’s storyline, she let me have my way. It ended up as our cover, with Kelly looking absolutely stunning and knowing exactly how to work it. After the shoot, it was impossible for me to let it go.”

Even though it was love at first sight, Griffin is well aware of the power of saving something for very special occasions.

“I have worn it only twice as it is an extremely memorable piece and you have to be in the right shape and frame of mind to wear it. Each time I have slipped into it I have felt like a million dollars, and being an iconic fashion statement, it draws attention and sparks conversation in any crowd. However, my favorite thing is being able to give it a much-deserved second showing, keeping it from the landfill, and bringing a unique element to my wardrobe.”

Anna Griffin wearing her vintage Rifat Ozbek dress. Here, with actress Daphne Zuniga.

Being so deeply involved in the world of sustainable style and upscale eco-fashion, Anna Griffin is not your typical fashionista. “When I make a purchase, it’s with longevity for both quality and cut in mind. Where it comes from, who’s been affected by its production, its impact on the earth, and where it’s going once I am done with it, are all considered. That might sound restrictive, but I actually feel more freedom to exercise my individual style now than ever before. And that includes a very modest yet delightful indulgence in vintage couture. To me, it’s the cherry on top of a very delicious and organic cake!”

Sometimes setting boundaries for yourself is the best way to truly find your style. But, if you do come across that show-stopping piece that makes your heart skip a beat, it may just be time to make an investment so you can have your own closet story.

The post Closet Stories: Anna Griffin’s Vintage Rifat Ozbek Dress appeared first on EcoSalon.

Amanda Walker approaches her jewelry box with the same kind of statement-making spirit she does the creation of scents.

For her company A Perfume Organic, Amanda Walker designs scents using equal parts experience and imagination.

She’s inspired by memories as wide-ranging as the jelly bracelets and cherry Chapsticks of her childhood to a current weekend walk in the woods smelling tree bark and dirt. Besides being incredible, layered and sophisticated, Walker’s scents are all certified organic, a step she saw as an extra assurance to herself and her customers of her awareness and commitment to sustainable principles and true health. Whereas many mainstream perfumes contain potential toxins, Walker’s scents are designed to possess health benefits. “Anything you apply to your skin,” she says, “is absorbed into your blood stream and can therefore benefit you.”

Walker approaches her jewelry collection with the same statement-making mentality as she does her scents. Her favorite pieces are a ring that has been with her for a long time and a newly acquired necklace.

“The ring was my first piece of ‘real’ jewelry. It’s by Stephen Dweck, made from bronze and faceted amber. I purchased it with my first couple paychecks from my first job in New York when I first moved here. I was doing marketing for Perkins Eastman Architecture firm and it was a super difficult job, seriously tough boss and I really wanted to spoil myself. Without fail, I’m always complimented on it. It constantly reminds me of how hard work can be rewarding.”

When it comes to jewelry, it’s incredible how “power-pieces” like this can work wonders for our confidence.

“The second piece is by House of Waris. I just discovered this brand and it’s the newest addition to my wardrobe. I was first introduced to Waris when a colleague wore a similar necklace to the office (hers was red and her desk was right next to mine). I was instantly obsessed and searched for days trying to find a similar piece. The words on the necklace means ‘Love Conquers All’ in Latin. I totally agree. I never wore it to the office though… and never told my colleague I bought it.” (See top image.)

Sometimes, what we wear closest to our hearts can possess meaning that is a secret to everyone but you. Keeping some mystery on our everyday lives is what makes it all so much more interesting.

The post Closet Stories: Organic Perfumer Amanda Walker’s Power Jewelry appeared first on EcoSalon.

White Owl jewelry melds vintage laces and chains to create heirloom pieces.

White Owl’s Anais Lace Necklace with lacy swirls of taupe, is hung by an antiqued brass chain and petite vintage beads. Dip dyed and ready for your most simple shirts or dresses.

($34)

Look for Lustables daily at EcoSalon. 100% gorgeous green finds, and never sponsored. Submit your favorite to tips@ecosalon.com

The post Lustables: White Owl’s Anais Necklace appeared first on EcoSalon.

Sometimes I feel exorbitantly lucky to live in Portland, Oregon. Last weekend, as I wondered through the Little Winter market in the Ace Hotel, I was glowing with adoration for my creative hub of a city. Little Winter is a handmade market, with vendors that will take your breath away; this post has just a sprinkle of the vendors. If you think the scarf above looks ridiculously soft, double the notion and you may be somewhat close to the gentle, malleable texture of this gorgeous weave by Secret Pocket.

This Mossiere 2011 Calendar is quaint and charming. I have been eyeing this beautiful confection of graphics for weeks. Literally weeks. It doesn’t disappoint – it’s even more delightful in person.

Forestbound offers some of the most delicious bags, I am totally in lust. This Recycled Canvas Tote Bag would be just right dangling from my arm. Don’t even get me started on these hand knit socks from Garmet House (could these be the elusive cure to winter?!).

And finally, this metallic necklace from Sulu-Design is simultaneously masculine and delicate. Oh, how I want one. Or two.

This gathering of handmade lovelies is just the beginning. Visit the Little Winter Blog to explore all the vendors. Step into this clever video (by the talented Anja Louise Verdugo of Clever Nettle) to experience a little glimpse of Little Winter.

The post Little Winter Wonderland appeared first on EcoSalon.

I love perusing VivaTerra’s site because I always find something I adore for my home. Take for instance these Glazed Kosui Mugs, or these Air Plant Terrariums and what about this pretty darn amazing Rhapsody Necklace by one of my favorite accessory designers, Chan Luu?

Eco-catalog pioneer VivaTerra handpicks the products for their catalogs which are dedicated to living in harmony with nature now and for future generations. The company has also sourced this show stopper in accordance with their desire to provide “the finest goods that uniquely fuse exceptional quality and design with eco sensitivities.”

VivaTerra writes on their site of the above necklace: “Like a skilled musician, designer Chan Luu dazzles without showing off. Her understated necklace plays the metallic glimmer of five intricately geometric chains against the vibrant tones of multicolored beads. An exquisite original creation emerges to make its own inimitable statement without weight or bulk.”

Fusing something a little tribal, a little statement and a healthy dose of color to pick up any bland outfit, this necklace could be yours if you get lucky – so leave a comment below explaining how you would wear it and you’re in the running.

Good luck!

(Legalese: contest rules and FTC compliance.)

The post VivaTerra’s Rhapsody Necklace Giveaway appeared first on EcoSalon.