GARUDA: a bird like animal of mythic strength, the guardian of the Water of Life, famous in South-East Asian philosophy. Garuda is a warrior, a protector, and a chariot of the gods. You can find Garuda in the sacred Buddhist and Hindu statuary in many temples, palaces and shines dedicated to the spirits of the earth and the ancestral heroes.


our products:
organic earrings
organic body jewelry
wood earrings
silver earrings
organic necklaces & amulets
wood jewelry
silver jewelry


Our Mission, Goals, and place on Earth...

We are dedicated to producing outstanding quality of design and craftsmanship in jewelry while respecting and supporting traditional families and their culture and skill, encouraging environmentally sustainable natural, organic and biodegradable materials for a healthy planet, workplace and community.



 PLANET

    By choosing organic jewelry as opposed to stone or metal, you are making a consumer choice to combat the environmental hazards and degradation of natural lands created in the processes of mining stone or metal and refining metals.  No materials are wasted in our production process. All are biodegradable. Any extra wood from production of jewelry is used as fuel for cooking or composted into the garden, and bone or horn scraps are composted in the garden.

    All materials we use for carving our organic jewelry are native to the region in which we create our goods and are sourced from only licensed, regulated wood sellers or as a result of obtaining food (coconut shell, bone & horn). In addition to the importance of using sustainable resources, the materials are chosen also for their natural beauty. We do not use any varnishes or other surface treatments, but rather utilize the natural colors of the raw materials. These native woods do not require pesticides or fertilizer to grow. Any exotic or rare species we use is plantation grown not wild harvested. We do not buy materials from the black market or use any old growth wood. We pride ourselves in the careful hand selection of our materials.

    All of the water buffalo and cow bone we use is sourced from local, small farms where the animals are raised by hand for meat production or plowing fields, and is a main food source of Indonesian peoples. The water buffalo bone is a remnant of meat production and farming on the neighboring islands of Lombok and Java. No parts of the animal are wasted. The buffalo are never harvested for their bones or horns.  Please see our material information page to find more detailed information on the materials we use.

    By promoting and sharing concepts of species awareness, recycling, and overall health of the ecosystem with the community that produces our products we are able to create a unified understanding that improves the end results for all. The materials we choose are sustainable, local or recycled and reflect our desire to give the earth a chance.  


PEOPLE

    This is a very small, grassroots type operation.
We know that hand made goods take time, healthy people, and a good sense of community to produce! As of 2008, all products are hand crafted by eight to twelve workers from a single community in Bali, Indonesia.
 

     I stay Indonesia annually for several months and maintain good contact with the families with whom I work.  In production, we operate based on the following: we do not push the production time of the goods, and maintain a personal relationship with the producers to ensure the quality of their lives is up to standard. This area is Hindu and has countless Holy days that must be respected, and on most of these days people do not work. This is not a Monday through Friday operation, they have their own calendar that we adhere to. Also, as costs raise we conference about it and adjust payment as needed to ensure the needs of all peoples can be met. The structure of this business is very loose and fits easily into the traditional structure here. If we were to try to force it into conventional western style it would create turmoil in the structure of family life here and destroy the local customs. The business operates in accordance with the social structure of the village and local tradition.
    I consult with all of the craftspeople who produce the goods in regard to their needs for time, the costs of production, and ideas they may have to make a product better, healthier, or more beautiful. The crafts people also participate in the adjustments to designs and, rarely, in creating new designs. The designs are often adjusted to suit the set of skills of the carvers I work with. Often, designs are made specifically to fit the skill set of one who needs work. This ensures balance in the work flow and job security. I visit with everyone as often as possible and on special occasions. Before doing business we take tea or coffee and chat. After we frequently eat together.  
 
We operate like a family.


  PRODUCT

   Your purchase supports traditional crafts and families and is a choice to purchase a product produced in an environmentally responsible way. All of our organic, silver & wood jewelry is hand-crafted by traditional people of natural materials.  Our materials are responsibly harvested and we support their craft and culture, while improving the quality of their lives and providing jobs where there may otherwise be none. We work closely with the craftspeople to create our original designs as well as traditional favorites. We stand behind the quality of our product and the aesthetic of its design. If our product fails you in any way, we will do what it takes to make it right.

    The new line of jewelry this year incorporates the traditional writing, “Aksara Suci”, meaning “sacred letters”, is an effort to raise awareness of the importance, sacredness, and beauty of tradition. Aksara is no longer commonly
used, as it has been replaced with western letters and is being lost and forgotten, especially by the youth, in the spreading westernization and globalized use of roman characters.  
 
The packaging we choose is very minimal. We are always open to and looking for better options that are more environmentally responsible. If you have any suggestions, please email them to us at GARUDA@OrganicEarrings.com

    We do our best to ensure you will be completely satisfied in both the aesthetic and quality of your new organic jewelry. As we are committed to your style sense and taste, we are always open to ideas about size, gauge and material of your Organic Earrings and body jewelry, and well as the designs you wish to have and the quality of the overall experience. Please contact us with any suggestions or wishes about what you would like to see or have. Whether you desire wood jewelry, bone jewelry, horn or mother of pearl jewelry, we will to our best to accommodate all of your needs. Due to the nature of hand-made jewelry, it may take several months for custom designs or suggestions to become available, as the process of creating a new size, new design, or working with a new material goes through many, many samples, varied stages of perfection, and stringent quality checks to ensure well matched pairs of organic earrings, organic body jewelry, and gauged earrings. All of our tribal stylings are original designs, less a few classic spirals and twists and the basic hoops. Barbara works hard to create these new ideas, and all your enjoyment and complements are highly regarded by her as well as all the hard working crafts people creating the master works in organic jewelry for you to enjoy.
Please do not hesitate to contact us with any desires for new materials, styles, or sizes!
    We are here to serve you!!!



enjoy your exotic nature...

Thanks and Kind Regards,
 GARUDA, Barbara & Michelle

  Please contact us if you have any questions about your organic jewelry: mail@OrganicEarrings.com