The North Star Silver Story
Hello and welcome. I'm Alex, the one woman show behind North Star Silver. My business was born from my love of the outdoors and my elemental, earthy soul. I worked in the bush for many years as a forest technician, spending my days off on backcountry hiking and canoe trips.
With motherhood and the lifestyle changes that accompanied it, I discovered metalsmithing. I created jewelry using "cold connections" for nearly two decades before taking the leap to learn how to fabricate jewelry using fire. This new approach to the craft immediately became a profound source of inspiration and inner peace, and a way to continue challenging myself and being creative while raising my children.
Symbolism and tributes to the natural world infuse my jewelry designs, which are handcrafted from scratch using traditional silversmithing techniques; working with reclaimed + recycled metals and ethically mined gemstones that come straight from the earth. I pour my heart and soul into each piece I create and I hope my passion for this work is evident.
I endeavour to keep my ecological footprint as small as possible with each aspect of my business. In addition to working with recycled +/ reclaimed metals and sourcing stones from reputable mines, I also emphasize materials that are from the northern hemisphere in my designs. My packaging includes GOTS-certified organic cotton jewelry bags and 100% post-consumer recycled kraft jewelry boxes with natural cotton filling.
Inspired by the massive societal transformations I witnessed all around me, I decided in early 2020 to use my business as a way to support our collective evolution to a more environmentally and socially just society. I call this effort the Be the Change initiative. For more than a year I ran Be the Change by donating 10% of sales revenues to an organization or cause doing work I believe in. Beginning in May 2021 I am now raising funds for causes by holding raffles. Our first raffle raised more than $980 for Sovereign Bodies Institute, to support their work on MMIWG. I'm so proud of and grateful for this community! Be the Change has been an amazing way to come together with the wonderful people who give my jewelry a home, and make the world a better place. To learn more about some of the organizations this community has supported, check out Be the Change.
Thank you for being here.