Jennifer Dawes on Being an Eco-Conscious Creator
The content of this article is the opinion of the writer and was written for The Source
Jewelry designer and metalsmith Jennifer Dawes was an early adopter of responsible sourcing and eco-conscious jewelry making.
She launched Jennifer Dawes Design in 2000 and currently serves as a Board Member of Ethical Metalsmiths as part of her work towards increasing transparency in the jewelry industry.
Portrait of Jennifer Dawes. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Dawes.
The following conversation has been edited for content and clarity.
Chloe Beaumont: You’ve said that when you were 18, you had a “transcendental” experience getting your hands on metal! Can you talk a bit more about that experience and what solidified the dream of being a designer for you?
Jennifer Dawes: Yes—I went to an art school in Michigan. I’ve always been into fine arts and was never very academic. One of the classes I took was a metalsmithing class, and in the first hour of that class I realized that was what I wanted to do. It was a feeling like a secret knowledge that I had—I don’t know how else I can describe it, but it was a very strong feeling of wanting to do that for the rest of my life, and here I am!
I had an incredible teacher, who sadly just passed away this past week, who I learned more from in one year than 5 years of college.
CB: That’s awesome, I am so aware that teachers can absolutely “make or break” your experience with something.
JD: Absolutely. I graduated from there and ended up doing a double major in Metal Arts and Sculpture at California College of the Arts. I knew that I wanted a well-rounded experience, so I studied blacksmithing and all sorts of other things. The heart of my jewelry-making now is fabrication, but I’ve had to move more into the casting realm of things due to time and production needs.
Rings from the Fault Line Collection. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Dawes.
CB: I love that your jewelry collections are both inspired by and honor nature at the same time, by using responsibly sourced stones and recycled metals. What are some practices you’ve implemented to help you run an environmentally-conscious “green” studio?
JD: I basically have a solar heater on my roof that heats my water as well as the floorboards of my studio. We have added solar power for our electric, as well as skylights for natural light. I don’t use very many chemicals, and the ones I do use include citric acid. I’ve tried to get recycled and repurposed packaging and found it to be a nightmare to get a hold of; maybe in the future it will be better!
I make all of my own displays myself—my jewelry is shown on recycled felt and stands made out of bamboo. I always try to use materials that are natural and recyclable.
CB: Amazing. I think it’s always helpful for other people to hear about what other people are doing to be more environmentally friendly and socially responsible; maybe people might have some inspired ideas of their own!
JD: Yeah! When I became a mother, I really had a moment where I realized, “Wow. ‘The Future’ means something new to me now.” I want to be someone who is leaving the world better than I found it for my children, and who is not just taking things away from the earth.
Earlier on in my career, I wasn’t connecting well with my client base, because I didn’t like the ostentation and notions about perception and image that typically came along with being in the jewelry business. I really asked myself, “Why am I a metalsmith?” The answer was that I want my jewelry to make the wearer feel elevated, but not to be used to elevate their personal status.
It was out of this desire and place that I started my “Sustainably Beautiful” idea. This was before Hoover and Strong even started their “Harmony” collections. When I rebranded and re-configured my business, it changed my client base, as well as my designs. My work became imbued with so much more soul and was more relaxed. Sometimes you have to ask yourself those painful or hard questions in order to get yourself to the right place. If you rebrand and shift your focus, you may lose some clients, but the clients who keep coming to you are the ones you want to keep, anyway!
A custom ring using a customer’s diamonds in the halo. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Dawes.
CB: Definitely. I think people will clearly see that you not only care about aesthetic and charming designs, but ethics and considering the environment. Your many different themed collections are all unique and beautiful—some of my personal favorites are the Fault Line and the Kingdom collections. Do you have any advice for other jewelers as far as creative inspiration and where to get more of it?
JD: Well, my Kingdom collection was actually the first figurative collection I’ve ever done! It was inspired by the fact that Monarch butterflies are almost on the endangered species list. I found this out while I was at the feed store with my daughter, and I was flabbergasted. I ended up turning my property into a butterfly sanctuary, because it really matters to me. The reason they are almost endangered is because there is no milkweed for them anymore for them to eat, and no butterfly bush for them to lay their eggs.
I’ve since had some pretty crazy experiences since starting the Kingdom collection; just when I decided to create some snake pieces, a snake turned up in my shoe that same day. That snake became my muse for a couple days!
CB: That’s wild!
JD: Yeah. The day I made my first butterfly piece, I went outside and a butterfly was flying all around my head. I put my finger out and it landed on me and wouldn’t get off! I’m serious, I took it for a walk.
As far as inspiration goes, I really get it from every direction. Sitting on my bench and working with metal is my meditative space. Your world gets that small, and then all the sudden your world expands into something huge. I’m lucky to never have had any creative blocks (Knock on wood!)
Pieces from the Kingdom Collection. Photo courtesy of Jennifer Dawes.
CB: I’m curious to know how you went about starting your responsible sourcing journey—you really were doing it before it was trendy!
JD: I remember asking “Where are you getting your diamonds from?” The diamond dealers looked at me like I had two heads, like, “Why are you even asking me this, silly girl?”
Thank god I had a contact on the ground who was getting diamonds out of Botswana. There was no tracing it with blockchain—I just had to take this guy’s word for it based on the fact that he had his heart in the right place.
Then I also had to tell clients who would ask me, “Well how can I know that this stone is actually coming from this place?” I would have to tell them that I was so sorry, but they would have to take my word for it, and that this industry thinks I’m the crazy one for even caring!
CB: It’s crazy to me how far behind the jewelry industry is compared to other industries as far as sourcing. We are catching up, but we still have a ways to go. What are some of your biggest takeaways from what you’ve learned about running an ethical business?
JD: I mean, I feel extremely privileged to get to do something that I love. The biggest takeaway for me is that my conscience is clear. I’m proud of what I do, what I make, and how I’ve been able to pave the way for other jewelers to create in a manner that feels good and right. I would encourage people to ask themselves, “Why am I doing this?” and to really dig deep into the answer. Answering that question for myself brought so much meaning and integrity to my work.
CB: Wonderful answer. Thank you Jennifer for being my latest Illuminator!
What do beekeeping and fish ponds have to do with diamond mining?