Photo: Jo-Anne McArthur/We Animals

Uh…what does this perfect piggy have to do with jewelry?

For me, almost everything. Bear with me.

Yellow House is a culmination of a lifetime love of jewelry and a desire to create. I’ve been studying and making jewelry forever, off and on while pursuing other professional, educational, and personal endeavors.

I now have the privilege to dedicate a significant portion of my days to producing original pieces that I hear people are proud to wear and share. Dream come true.

Everything I create is handcrafted with meticulous care using traditional jewelry-making techniques. I typically work with very delicate, small stones (see the image below), which takes great care and magnification. I painstakingly select and lay out the stones for each piece, to ensure matching earrings and graceful ombre build.

Jewelry-making is a way for me to express my skill, imagination, and love. Picturing my jewelry-babies adorning kind friends all over the world brings me huge personal joy.

Now about the pig.

I chose that piggy image not just because of her perfect pink skin, although she is my favorite color.

Truth is, my simple mission—in general, and for this project—is just to do what I can to alleviate suffering and to bring joy. In that order.

We humans are pretty good at finding joy, but in the process, we often—mostly unintentionally—harm other beings. Especially when we eat. Our broken food system causes immeasurable harm to nonhuman animals. It’s also terrible for the environment, our personal health, world health and food security, and the people who work and live around animal factories.

I’m honored and humbled to know scads of lovely humans working in all sorts of ways to solve this highly intractable problem. I’ve been inspired to seek my own nexus of changemaking—work at the intersection of my passion and abilities. After much fumbling about, I’ve determined that my opportunity is in using my creative and marketing skills to craft something that helps me spread a message of compassion.

I’m turning a lifelong hobby into a business to benefit farmed animal causes. Profits go to impactful animal protection orgs.

So that’s the mitigation of suffering. Onto the joy.

I hope my creations bring a spark of joy to the kind souls who adopt them, through the beauty of the pieces themselves, and the knowledge that they’re helping to make the world a little more beautiful for other deserving beings.

Thank you for being a part of my journey and for your support of the gentle beings with whom we share our planet.

 FAQs

  • I use sterling silver and 14K gold filled chain, wire, and findings (closures, metal beads, etc.) Most are sourced from local suppliers in Denver and Boulder

    I make as much as is viable myself. I craft my own ear wires so that I can determine the shape and size. I form my own sterling head pins (look it up if you’re interested) with silver wire and a soldering torch. I solder when necessary, but it’s not my favorite activity.

    The beads are identified in the item descriptions. I purchase them at gem shows, when I travel, from trusted online suppliers, and at my favorite bead store in Boulder.

    Best of all, my supplies are all cruelty free, with the exception of when I stab myself with fine gauge wire. :-)

  • Sort of. I haven’t figured out how to make the photos show the gemstones’ sparklessence (new word) without expensive lighting equipment and I prefer to spend my resources on animals and my time making jewelry. You’ll have to trust me for now or reach out for a Zoom appointment!

  • Best to take your adoptee off at night. I use the largest gauge wire I can, that will work for the stones, but I work very small and delicate (multiple magnifiers), so these pieces won’t stand up to rough housing.

    I am happy to repair anything, for the life of your piece if you pay shipping. Just reach out.

  • I chose my own site instead of Etsy, so I’d have more control of the design, and to keep costs down. That’s it for now, but I’d love to table at animal welfare events and such. Please send along ideas!

  • To start, I’m donating to Hogs & Kisses Farm Sanctuary in Virginia. https://hogsandkisses.org/

    They are lovely people taking care of deserving residents. I hope to expand my donations to other organizations when I’m further along.

  • Currently, I pay myself $15/hour (below minimum wage!) and cost of materials. Everything else is donated, so I’m covering training, admin costs (like the website), photography, driving to Boulder for supplies, driving around Denver for supplies, equipment, etc. I’m not sure how long this will be sustainable, but right now, the donation is usually about half depending on material costs.

  • The most impactful individual contribution you can make is to replace animal-derived foods with plants!

    Eat more lentils, beans, grains, veggies, fruits, and healthy, nutritious alternative proteins.

    There is, of course, more. Reach out to jtourkin@gmail.com if you’d like ideas.

  • My very lucky son’s ridiculously beautiful, unmade-up, untouched, very generous girlfriend, Lili.

  • Just a quirk. I love yellow houses and pink jewelry. Shrug.