A Twist on the Age Old Hoop
Written by Urban Sherp on May 5th, 2009
Who: Melissa Joy Manning (MJM) – Oakland, CA
What: 3/4″ x 1 1/4″ Twisted Oval Hoop
Where: MJM.com, $65 for sterling silver, $275 for 14k gold
Why: Hoops will never go out of style, nonetheless, it is quite refreshing to see a update on an old classic, rather a more ladylike version of the hoop. The delicately crafted twist is hammered to wafer thinness resulting in a more polished look than the standard hoop and can easily be dressed up or down. Each earring is hand made of 100% recycled metals, so no two are the same, but that just makes them all the more intriguing.
Want More? What is great about Melissa is that she is not doing this to profit from the green wave, this really is a personal mission for her that has permeated her designs for the past 10 years. She has made every effort to ensure that her business involves environmentally and socially conscious production from start to finish. She sources materials from US distributors that tread lightly including using reclaimed objects, natural materials, using only 100% recycled metals that are refined with less than 75% of the waste of standard refineries, and only using Kimberley Certified Conflict Free Diamonds. Even her office has gone green with CFL lightbulbs, recycling centers, low flow toilets……
Her latest venture? An sales showroom in NYC where she represents fellow eco-conscious jewelry designers, Luana Coonen and Lauren Wolf.