Purchasing handcrafted jewelry is definitely a good investment and makes a great Christmas gift.  Your piece will be one of a kind, which encourages creativity and adds to its intrinsic artistic value and allows for personal expression.  For example, this pendant at http://www.athenasilversmith.com/collections/garabatos/products/chile-relleno-pendant shows audacity while the cuff at http://www.athenasilversmith.com/collections/bracelets/products/silver-cuff is traditional yet elegant.

Artisan-made jewelry as opposed to manufactured jewelry tends to be more carefully crafted due to the use of more material, more attention to detail and a better finish.  In addition, handmade jewelry is environmentally friendly since it avoids the manufacturing process causing no pollution or use of energy.

So this Christmas, consider handcrafted jewelry.  Apart from owning or gifting a unique design, you are fomenting the creative process, buying quality merchandise and protecting the environment. Visit www.athenasilversmith.com for some Christmas gift ideas. 

Purchase Jewelry at Local Markets

I am taking my unique collection of sterling silver jewelry to local markets. The first, third and fourth Saturday I will be exhibiting at the 23^rd Street Renaissance Artists’ Market open daily until dusk in Austin, featuring trendy jewelry, T-shirts, pottery, posters and scarves. Saturday, Dec. 6 and Sunday Dec. 7, I will be at the St. Austin Holiday Fair, 2026 Guadalupe Street, Austin, Texas. Hours are 3-7 p.m. on Saturday and 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday. The second Saturday in December I, along with other artisans, will be at Art Squared in San Marcos, open from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the Hay County Courthouse, 111 E. San Antonio Street.