Shakti Ellenwood I Fairtrade Ethical Engagement & Wedding Rings

Shakti Ellenwood I Fairtrade Ethical Engagement & Wedding Rings

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Afternoon Lovely Peeps and Happy International Women's Day! I have been so excited about sharing today's featured supplier with you. Not only do they produce the most beautiful ethical wedding and engagement rings that I just know you are all going to love, they also have a pretty unique and special way of creating each piece. A type of ritual or blessing that they believe will bind your marriage and set it in good stead for being a huge success.

Shakti Ellenwood first fell in love with jewellery design in India and went on to train with Armenian master jeweller, Hratch Nargizian. The fair trade gold, precious stones and diamonds she uses are all sourced ethically from across the world and each piece is individually designed and handmade by herself. There is nothing mass produced here - apart from her passion and love which she pours into each and every piece she makes.

If you are still looking for your wedding rings or maybe you are just engaged and yet to receive your ring, be prepared to be wowed by Shakti's beautiful designs and her heart warming story of how it all began....

Using centuries old artisan techniques, I handcraft ethical wedding and engagement rings in my Somerset studio. Each ring is produced responsibly with 18ct Fairtrade gold from Peru and conflict free diamonds and gemstones. I have a passion for working with the purest CanadaMark diamonds, which are fully traceable back to their origins in the Arctic Circle and I love to work with rose cut rustic diamonds which are full of swirly patterns and colours, each one utterly unique.

My own one of course! Every summer I get together with about 50 of my friends to have our own little, three day, mini festival on private land in deepest Devon. We rock the nights away.

When I was 29 I found myself very sick in India. I was staying on my own, in a guest house and with a high fever was unable to look after myself. A young Israeli guy, Asi, who had a room upstairs from me took me under his wing and nursed me back to health. He was a goldsmith and sat at a tiny bench, on the floor, crafting gold into objects of beauty. Whilst I lay, on his bed recuperating, I became fascinated by the intricacy and delicacy of the work. When I was recovered and able to carry on my travels, he presented me with a gold ring set with a Tibetan turquoise. It was the start of my jewellery love affair.

From India, I followed a boyfriend to San Francisco, where I apprenticed under 5th generation Armenian master jeweller, Hratch Nargizian, for five years and who remains my mentor to this day.

From the time I began training as a goldsmith, my goal was to start my own business. All the women in my family have always had their own creative business', so it just seemed a natural progression for me.

My organic, earthy creations, are a perfect blend of beauty and integrity and offer a soothing balm to the mass produced, cookie cutter rings you see everywhere.

They are rich in romance and ritual, as I sing ancient songs of love as I am working, so that every ring becomes a wearable blessing. When I have finished rings for a couple, I tie them together with velvet ribbon and say a little prayer for their future together. This ritual is from the Ancient Egyptians who believed that when a knot was tied with an intention, that intention became set.

These ethical wedding and engagement rings offer a luxurious blend of provenance and purity, each destined to become family heirlooms to be cherished for generations, each with their own story to tell.

My favourite memory of working with a couple was last May. These clients, who I become close to, invited me to attend their festival style wedding in Sicily. So, my daughter, Paloma and I, hired a car and went on a five day road trip on the beautiful Italian island. We ended up at their wedding, which was at a rustic villa in the heart of the Sicilian countryside. The ceremony was performed under the stars by a Native American Indian. Pure perfection!

Don't be afraid to be different, be authentic and make your ring unique to you.

The quote that inspires me the most in my business is that of Yvon Chouinard, creator of Patagonia:

"Build the best product. Cause no unnecessary harm. Use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis."

For more information on Shakti Ellenwood and the precious jewellery she creates, visit her website or view her listing within our festival wedding directory.

Big Wedding Ring Love

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