Tired of the same old, boring, commercial jewelry? Look no further. With the help of Etsy.com, you will never be caught wearing the same accessory.

Immediately one can see the extreme amount of detail that is put into each item.
 

Etsy, often regarded as a “granola” version of Ebay, is a website with over 850,000 active shops, that supports small, authentic businesses. Shops are only allowed to sell either handmade or vintage products.
 

Created solely for the purpose of promoting small business, Etsy allows people the opportunity to both sell and purchase unique and handmade items. From chic clothing, to vintage Chanel earrings, to funky furniture,

Etsy offers something for everyone’s taste. 
 

Recently having learned about Etsy, I decided to explore this crafty world. Mesmerized with the array of products I decided to take the plunge and order a couple things.

 

I ordered a detailed necklace, a recycled bracelet and a pair of  awesome earrings. Each piece of jewelry is unique and  I value their hard work.

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Next I ordered a bracelet, however it is not a typical bracelet. I decided to help the environment with this purchase. It was fairly easy, because on Etsy there is a eco-friendly jewelry tab; one has the opportunity to not only help the economy, but also the environment.
 

Deciding how to help the environment was easy, deciding which bracelet to buy was not. Etsy has around 30,000 items of jewelry that are listed as ‘Eco-Friendly,’ and the materials used to make bracelets range from recycled bicycle tires, to pennies, to zippers, to paper, and to fabric.
 

Some are obviously recycled, and others are more discrete. The bracelet I ordered is an Eco-Friendly

Friendship bracelet made of hand dyed and recycled fabric.
 

Even though the material is recycled, it has no affect on the quality of the final product. Not only is the bracelet eco-friendly, but the packaging it is reusable too! Along with my bracelet, came a sweet note from the seller that said: “Thank you from the bottom of my heart, xoxo, Ragademalion.”

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Ragademalion;  the name of the shop I purchased this bracelet from, is the combination of the seller’s favorite messages and  words, ‘ragamuffin,’ and ‘tatterdemalion’.
 

Finally, I purchased the perfect small pair of infinity earrings. These earrings sold for the affordable price of $10 dollars; a shocking price compared to prices at conventional stores.
 

The delicate shape and size of the earrings is the best part of the earring. They are comfortable and I can wear them with everything.
 

Along with the earrings came a note from the seller offering a discount on the next purchase.
 

Etsy let’s you build a connection with your seller; especially when you purchase items from the same seller. This proves the point that purchasing items through Etsy, and especially purchasing items from the same

seller,  will provide a huge economic benefit in the long run.
 

People can buy original items at a very reasonable price through Etsy. If you change your mind on a piece of jewelry, all you have to do is contact the seller and recreate the design.
 

Many  stores on Etsy encourage you to message them and give them feedback.
 

No longer will shopping online be a cold and lonely experience. Knowing the person who made your jewelry has actually thought about how to make the experience the most enjoyable for everyone makes a huge difference.
 

So why not stop buying jewelry from large chain-stores, but instead start supporting small businesses. Most of the time they have better ideas and much better customer service. Small businesses would benefit a lot more from community support than any conventional store would.
 

Instead of buying clothes or jewelry at the nearest department store, a person can actually make a difference in an individual’s life, and gain a huge benefit.