| Why does anyone need jewellery? The answers | | | | Well what are the suitable materials? |
| are many and various. Let's try some of the | | | | The conception that jewellery catering for |
| following: | | | | vegetarians and particularly vegans is usually made |
| Because it's beautiful/striking /irresistible - probably | | | | of wood, is a crazy myth. They want jewellery |
| all three! | | | | to be as interesting, beautiful, classy or mad as |
| To show how wealthy I am - this is the oldest | | | | the rest of the public. When the enormous |
| reason in the book. | | | | variety of: |
| To show what good taste I have... | | | | - gemstones, |
| To adorn my body! | | | | - types of glass, |
| To match my clothes | | | | - crystal |
| To bring out a colour in my outfit | | | | - cloth beads, |
| To contrast with my clothes for emphasis | | | | - varieties of wood, |
| To highlight my eyes/ears/neck/ankles/wrists etc | | | | - different metals, |
| To distract from my eyes/ears/neck/ankles | | | | - rubber, |
| wrists etc | | | | - plastics, |
| To brighten up an outfit | | | | - acrylics, etcare taken into account, we can see |
| To tone down an outfit | | | | that there is an real range choice of materials. |
| For fun | | | | Why is special jewellery needed? |
| For effect (for example): | | | | So, why does anyone need to especially make |
| - To make me look business-like | | | | 'vegetarian' or 'vegan' jewellery? To ask a wider |
| - To make me look trendy | | | | question, why cater for any special needs in |
| - To make me look cool/hot | | | | jewellery? The answer is because there is a need. |
| - To make me look younger/older | | | | How do you know that there is suitable jewellery |
| - To make me look beautiful or failing that pretty | | | | out there? The questions to ask yourself are: |
| or attractive! | | | | - Are all the materials used in manufacture |
| - To make me look less beautiful or less pretty | | | | suitable? |
| or attractive! This is a desperate measure! | | | | - Where do I find this jewellery? |
| - To make me look like me! | | | | - Is the retailer committed to understanding my |
| - To make me not look like me! | | | | needs, giving good service and having a variety of |
| Or for expression: | | | | jewellery that meets my requirements and |
| - When I wear jewellery I feel happy | | | | pocket? |
| - When I wear jewellery I feel great | | | | To take the above points in order: |
| - When I wear jewellery I'm full of joy | | | | 1. Suitable materials |
| - Or, alternatively, I feel happy/great/joyful so I | | | | It is actually quite difficult to know exactly what |
| wear a particular piece of jewellery! | | | | goes into making up a piece of particular |
| There are many, many more, and I'm sure you'll | | | | jewellery, For instance: |
| come up with hundreds but perhaps the best is | | | | Is fish based glue used in the construction?; Is it |
| because I love jewellery! | | | | strung on silk?; Is the black bead I can see made |
| So what's different about vegetarians and | | | | of wood, bone or plastic? |
| vegans? | | | | If you care about these things, how do you find |
| There are a number of reasons why people | | | | out when many web sites/ retailers don't tell you |
| choose to be vegetarian. The main reason is a | | | | and/ or don't know or care? It is easiest to get |
| commitment to not killing and eating animals or | | | | the help that you need when a retailer makes |
| fish, but it could also be: | | | | their own jewellery, knows exactly what goes |
| - Economic reasons | | | | into it, and are willing to tell you! On our own web |
| - Dietary | | | | site each piece of jewellery we make is described |
| - Don't like the taste or texture of meat (some | | | | and materials assessed when entered into our |
| still eat fish) | | | | database. We categorise our jewellery and a 'v' |
| - Ecological reasons | | | | for vegetarian is shown, with additional notes for |
| - Because they have been brought up to be | | | | vegans. We also have a vegetarian filter. This is |
| vegetarian/vegan | | | | not a particularly difficult procedure, particularly |
| For vegans the approach is primarily not to exploit | | | | when planned into the site set up (apart from the |
| any living creature. From this it follows not to kill | | | | filter which got our techie guy muttering). Anyone |
| animals or fish to eat, and includes not eating any | | | | who makes their own jewellery should know |
| animal products e.g. dairy or eggs etc. | | | | what is in it - well hopefully! |
| Why do vegetarians and vegans need to have | | | | 2. Where to find vegetarian jewellery |
| different jewellery? | | | | On our web the search engines are usually |
| A natural conclusion of this for vegans and many | | | | moderately helpful, likewise the vegetarian and |
| vegetarians is not to use animal parts in any | | | | particularly the vegan societies often point their |
| product (e.g. clothes, shoes, furniture, glues, | | | | readers to suitable businesses, but may cut out |
| jewellery etc.), wherever possible. For some | | | | businesses who include jewellery for omnivores |
| products, finding an alternative can be difficult, but | | | | (most of the general public) as well. |
| for jewellery, it should be easy...We tend to | | | | 3. Commitment |
| assume that the general public will wear anything | | | | This will mean a bit more research. Reading and |
| in jewellery. However, everyone has their own | | | | checking through the websites and emailing for |
| particular preferences, likes and dislikes, concerns | | | | answers if necessary, or visiting retailers and |
| and physical tolerances. On the whole though, | | | | talking to them, and of course asking around, |
| there are a wide range of materials that most | | | | either in your locality or on dedicated forums on |
| people can or will wear. This is just as true for | | | | the web. |
| vegans and vegetarians. There are so many | | | | Conclusion |
| materials that are suitable for both, and only a | | | | Yes, of course we all need the ability to find and |
| few that are unsuitable. The unsuitable materials | | | | buy the jewellery that meets our requirements, |
| are obvious when you think about it, and are (for | | | | needs, whims, fantasies, and fun and that, of |
| both vegetarians and vegans): | | | | course, means vegetarian and vegan jewellery as |
| - Bone, horn and leather | | | | well! There's some fabulous jewellery out there, |
| - Shell, mother of pearl, pearls, coraladditionally for | | | | and so much of it is suitable for vegans and |
| vegans there are: | | | | vegetarians. So, do enjoy looking for, buying and |
| - Silk, | | | | wearing the right jewellery for you! |
| - Amber, and fossils. | | | | |