Percent: Recycled, Repurposed, Renewed Jewelry

Now that Halloween has come and gone, almost lost and forgotten here on the east coast amidst the drowning deluge and furious winds, the slippery slope to the winter holidays has commenced, a slope of deferred shopping and generous gift giving. My lovely friend, Katherine, who I love to gush and boast about because she works on such incredible projects, has been making jewelry for years, from before we had even met one another, which, at this stage, seems like a beautiful eternity. Surprisingly, I have yet to shamelessly, and proudly, promote her incredible online shop, Percent. Since she just worked to obtain her business license out in California, allowing her to partner with some local boutiques out in San Francisco in addition to selling her wares online, and has also recently released some new designs, I decided to seize the coincidental opportunity. Overall, her life philosophy is to promote sustainable design and sustainable living; with her jewelry, she achieves this be recycling and re-purposing vintage and other materials, giving them a rebirth and a renewal with a fresh aesthetic eye. Each piece is hand-crafted and unique, individually designed to thoughtfully incorporate and illuminate the materials selected, a precious and admirable thing, in a world where it seems more and more goods are massively produced, at a scale where poor quality is the only expectation.

My current favorite is featured above, a bold but classic necklace of vintage Japanese lucite beads; vintage lucite is a staple in my jewelry collection and, being a taller lady, I love anything colorful that makes a statement. This necklace, for me, would pair perfectly with some of my knit black dresses and a pair of black pumps, a monochrome look that is not only slimming, but allows the necklace to glean all attention and focus. Very versatile, I would also love this paired with a simple white cotton dress in the warmer summer months, which already seem to be a faint whisp of a memory. Between the insane storm, impending work and personal travel, for conferences and then Thanksgiving, and my niece's first birthday celebration, drafting my list for Santa Claus has been quite the low priority; frankly, I am not even that certain I have been all that good. But, Jolly Saint Nick usually lets me slide; this beauty is definitely top on my wish list.

Whether perusing for some gifts for the nice and the naughty, or just procrastinating from cubicle doldrums, give Percent a gander. And if you are in the San Francisco area, check Katherine's blog, also called Percent, for her updates on local artisan shows and boutique store partnerships.