In this Slowmade Podcast interview, Michelle Pajak-Reynolds dives into so many topics, from the time and thoughtfulness she puts into each of her designs, to how she researches her inspirations, documents her creative process, and carefully source ethically mined stones and precious metals. She also chats about her experience at New York Fashion Week, the rewards of building meaningful client relationships (many of whom feel like chosen family to her ❤️), the challenges of balancing motherhood and family life with running a business, and so much more. Listen on the web, Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

The Fairmined 100 Challenge is a global design competition featuring 127 brand new jewelry collections to show the world that it is possible to make jewelry in an ethical and responsible way, and at the same time help artisanal and small-scale mining communities. The industry judges are deciding their favorites and today is your chance to support my Pleiades collection in the "Public's Favorite" category, this is the only category in which the winner is chosen by you, the public.

Voting is open until October 7,2022 so please share the voting link with your friends, family, and people who are interested in sustainability and ethical sourcing.

With the perfect balance of sparkle and fantasy, the Pleiades Collection honors the beauty of our night sky and ancient mystical traditions. Possessing unexpected elegance, these one-of-a-kind fine-jewelry designs handcrafted in Fairmined 14k gold, ethically mined Umba sapphires and champagne zircons captivate the imagination.

For your creative listening pleasure! Michelle Pajak-Reynolds chats with Risa Dickens co-host of the Missing Witches podcast about gems, history, lore, and the ethics of her jewelry art in order to answer her daughter’s questions: “Who made it? How did it get here?”

Inspired by the weathered beauty of ancient and mysterious stone circles the Mira collection features ethically mined Herkimer diamond quartz crystals, Fairmined 14 karat gold and hand-pierced recycled sterling silver. Small and intimate in size, these designs reimagine the magic of ancient landscapes as modern-day talismans.

Desired for centuries as the ultimate blue gemstone, sapphires got their name from the Greek word sappheiros which means “blue color.” Deep blue sapphires are considered stones of wisdom, protection and nobility by nearly every culture and religion. While blue is its best-known shade, sapphires are available in almost every color of the rainbow.

Wow, what an incredible adventure! I've recently returned from a beautiful Herkimer Diamond mining trip with my friends and fellow jewelry designers in Herkimer County, New York. Herkimer is home to the world-famous Herkimer Diamonds. Learn more about these fascinating gems and how to mine them in this account from our treasure hunting.