My Favorite Designs I Wear from Dunitz Fair Trade Jewelry

Some of you know I've been collaborating with artisans in Guatemala since 1989. Dunitz & Company has been around the block. The other thing you may not know about me is I don't have pierced ears. I've gotten lots of flack about that from everyone. You betcha. Knowing that, I thought it would be fun to share my favorite designs I enjoy wearing (not in any particular order) from my fair trade jewelry collection when I'm not actually working.

 

Glass Bib Necklace

When I dress up a bit, I love wearing our Glass Bib Necklace. It's a classic look that you can wear short or long. And it isn't heavy at all. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Embroidered Rings

We sell a lot of rings to stores all around the US. Since they're not sized, it's impossible to retail them online. You can often find me wearing one our Daisy Denim Rings. These are embroidered on upcycled/recycled denim. We find old jeans at the local markets, wash them well and then cut them up to create jewelry.

 

 

 

 

Denim Floral Bracelet

I can't hide it. I'm nuts for our embroidered flowers. You'll often find me wearing one of our Denim Floral Bracelets. We also offer this design embroidered on traditional corte fabric. Want to see more? Watch this video we prepared with artisans making these gorgeous pieces.

Suede & Glass Cuff

When you don't wear earrings, you MUST wear a lot of bracelets. I've always been a bracelet gal. Our wide suede and Fused Glass Cuff is also a favorite of mine. I like it because it's handsome and not so girly.

 

 

 

World Coin Bracelet

Several years ago I designed a complete collection of jewelry using retired world coins. It was a huge success and it still sells today. I think the World Coin Bracelet on my dresser has coins from France, Mexico and Thailand. I even wore it to my niece's bridal shower recently. These bracelets jazz up all sorts of outfits. 

Vintage Button Bracelet

I can be a bit predictable. I love vintage. It absolutely makes sense that you also might catch me wearing one of our beaded designs that use vintage buttons.  And since I often wear black and earth tones, you'll find me wearing a Vintage Button Bracelet in dark earthy colors. 

 

 

 

Stacking Bracelets

Finally, you'll find me stacking some of our most inexpensive bracelets on my wrist every day. Our Beaded Skinnies come in so many colors; solid, color blocked and with a radial pattern. We have little Square Bead & Crystal Bracelets which are so fun to pair with them.

 

 

 

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Take a closer look at  my favorite things. I'm guessing something I love from the Dunitz fair trade jewelry collection will make you or your loved one happy. Yes, I know. You wear earrings and I do not. You'll find lots of amazing fair trade earrings from us too.-ND

Karen Sparacio. The Heart and Brains behind Project Have Hope.

Karen in Uganda

It seems I'm always talking about Dunitz & Company and our fair trade jewelry collection. Over the years, it has also given me great pleasure to share the stories of some of my fair trade friends and colleagues. There is so much we can learn from their talents and experiences.  One of those people is Karen Sparacio, the heart and brains behind Project Have Hope. Thankfully for all of us reading this, Karen was a willing participant when I asked to interview her. Keep reading here to learn what she shared.

NANCY: Like many of us, you stretch yourself thin so you can make a difference. You operate an incredible fair trade business working with artisans in Uganda and you also manage to find time for wedding and journalistic photography. I'd love to know more about both. And I think people reading this blog post will as well. I'll do my best at asking you a bit about both.

Can you tell me what inspired you to get involved with fair trade? How did you come by working with artisans in Uganda?

KAREN: As a professional photographer, I first traveled to Uganda in 2005 to volunteer for several non-profits to provide them with high quality imagery for their fundraising and marketing efforts.  During that trip, I was introduced to a woman who brought me to the Acholi Quarter. I ended up spending two weeks photographing in that community and learning more about the families who had been displaced because of the war in northern Uganda.  It was there I was first introduced to the craft of paper bead making. Inspired and awed by the strength and endurance of the people I met, I simply wanted to find a way to help. In that spirit, we started the non-profit, Project Have Hope, which has been a collaborative entity in which I help find a market for their artistry and we use the profits to further educational opportunities for their children and the artists themselves.

NANCY: Tell me a few more specifics about the work you do in Uganda.  Is there a type of product that Project Have Hope specializes in?  Do you have a favorite items you sell?

KAREN: The work I do in Uganda has a lot of elements beyond products and craft-making. Although the crafts are what makes it possible to fund our work, my primary focus is helping the artisans become financially independent. Much of my work has to do with overseeing our child sponsorship, vocational training and loans programs and developing new programs that will help the artisans find ways to support themselves. Although I have many ideas, ultimately, it is the artisans and the community that knows best what they need, so it's imperative that I spend time talking and listening to them and helping to implement their ideas into living, breathing, effective programming.

Alice learned Tailoring

Project Have Hope is definitely known for our high quality, inspired, paper bead designs. We spend a lot of time developing new designs to ensure that our jewelry is on trend and fresh. With so much competition in the paper bead jewelry industry, we stand out for our high quality and unique artistry.

Over the years, our product line has greatly diversified. We invest heavily in vocational training and have trained more than 25 women as tailors.  These tailors have helped us to expand our textile offerings to cloth napkins, tote bags, aprons, oven mitts, headbands and plush animals. The most exciting part of our crafts is the collaborative process. By sharing ideas, skills and strengths, we have been able to create a versatile line of products that have been very well received.

NANCY: Is there something you feel particularly good about when you think of your work in Uganda. An accomplishment? A life you changed? I'd love to hear a story or two.

Gerard

 

KAREN: Oh gosh, we're going on 16 years now, there are so many stories. I guess there is one that stands out more than the rest. It's a story of little Gerard.  I still remember when he first came to our community center for a workshop to paint peace tiles and he looked so sickly.  I asked one of the women what is sickness was. "Malaria? HIV? TB?" They responded with words I didn't understand. And then they translated. "Lack of protein." Gerard was slowly being starved to death. There's a long, ugly story around that situation, but the result was that we stepped in, got him medical treatment and found a home where he would be well taken care of. Now, more than ten years later, he is thriving and you'd never know that there was a time that no one expected he'd survive. He is my shining light. So often it's easy to think of all the things I cannot do, I cannot change. Gerard is the reminder that we all have the power to make a difference in the life of one person. And even if we accomplish nothing more, we've done well.

NANCY: Another aspect of you that I really admire is your photography work. Your Instagram feed is loaded with wonderful product shots and amazing artisan pics. Here's a technical question you might be able to answer for me. Sometimes you have background items such as flowers that help you show off a pair of earrings. The flower is a bit blurry and the earrings are crystal clear. These kind of photos always interest me. Is there a "tip" for how someone manages that effect? Answer as technically as you must.

Camera Focuses on Bracelet

KAREN: It's all about focus and depth of field. Focus on the area you want to be sharp and use a shallow depth of field to keep the rest soft. I'm old school. I don't use post-production editing tools to change the photos I intended to take.

 

 

 

 

 

NANCY: Wow. You'll need to be even more specific for me. Can you baby-sit me through the process?

KAREN: I typically use F2.8 to keep a shallow depth of field and a moderately fast shutter speed of 125. I also generally stand on a stop ladder so I'm above the subject and can tilt my camera to focus in on one specific area. This helps to naturally blur the background. 

NANCY: And your people pics are extraordinary. I adore how you've had relationships over many years with some of your artisans and their children. In many cases you document their growth. It's obvious to me they admire and trust you, allowing you to take and share these images. Can you tell me a bit more about how you've changed some of their lives?

KAREN: I think a better question is how they've changed me.  I'm exceedingly impatient; they've taught me patience, among so many other things. They've taught me the benefits of interdependence, collaboration, the importance of being still, present and truly listening. They've taught me that someone's educational level or financial status does not in any way represent their net worth and their value, nor does it lessen their impact, nor make their voice any less worthwhile and strong. (Wow! Love this!) They've taught me more than I could ever impart on them. I've been extremely fortunate to be the connector - connecting their stories and artistry to others.

NANCY: I view you as a photographer extraordinaire. Do you have any tips for a small business person when it comes to producing good photography? Go out on a limb here. You can share tips for product pics or people pics.

KAREN: Producing good photography, whether it's products or people, is all about the lighting. For product pics, even if you're not using a professional set up, you can easily get a piece of white board or foam core and position that to bounce light back into a product so the light is more even and the shadows are reduced. For people, photography skill is minimally important. It's the time you put into building relationships and the trust you develop. There are many times when being a photographer takes a back seat. There are times I'd love to just start shooting, but I know the real value comes from  being patient, making sure everyone is comfortable and respected and is able to share their voice in how their story is told.

NANCY: Is there anything else you'd like to add?

KAREN: I think I've already said too much. (said with a big smile.)

--end of interview--

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I hope you learned a useful thing or two by reading this interview with Karen. I know I learned quite a bit from our conversation. Project Have Hope and Dunitz & Company are both vetted members of Fair Trade Federation. That means you can feel secure and good about supporting our organizations. Definitely take a closer look at Project Have Hope's website. There you can learn more about their mission and score some great gifts. By supporting fair trade businesses like ours, you are making a positive difference in lives. -ND

B2B Wholesale Marketplaces - Stats from A Vendor

UPDATED 8/2/23

You think you're confused? We're all confused. It seems a few times a week my customers ask me if they should be buying our fair trade jewelry on this site or another. Or should they order direct at www.dunitz.com? They want to know how all these sites differ. Since I am not a buyer, I can't share with you how these sites operate from a buyer's perspective. I can share with you how they vary from a vendor's.

FAIRE is the market leader when it comes to B2B gift buying. Their site is the most sophisticated and their fees are the largest for vendors.  An opening order comes with a commission of 15% plus $10.00. Reorder commissions are 15%. Dunitz is on FAIRE. 

Technically FAIRE is the vendor. They collect money. And they pay us on the terms we agree upon with them.  FAIRE collects all resale tax information from buyers.

We choose to have all FAIRE orders paid out on Net 30. The other options for vendors is to be paid in 2 or 3 days or 60 days. Depending on a vendor’s choice, vendors pay a processing fee which is approximately 3%. If you can prove a relationship with a store (in the form of an invoice during the previous two years, or email communication, or registration on your back-end) FAIRE will remove the commission fee. Processing fees are collected on all orders. One way to expedite this process is to upload your entire customer list to the FAIRE system. FAIRE says they don't use our lists for any reason other than to help prove prior relationships.

Vendors can purchase mailing labels for orders through FAIRE. In this case the vendor assumes the risk of loss since boxes will not be insured. At this time (1/1/23), FAIRE reimburses vendors for pre-paid labels. This is always our choice because we insure all of our wholesale orders.

 

ABOUND As of 6/2023, this venue has been closed down for traditional wholesale orders.  

MSA Marketplace As of 1/1/23, this venue has been closed down.

FTF Marketplace As of 1/1/23, this venue has been closed down.

Juniper  As of 1/1/23, Juniper (operated by International Market Centers) has redefined their B2B site to only support vendors that physically participate in their trade shows. We had signed up for their B2B site early in 2022 and went through a laborious on-boarding process. We were told that IMC exhibitor rates were half that of non-exhibitors. We were OK with that, given that more business is more business. We garnered no business from their portal and at the end of the year asked to be removed as an active account. We learned today 1/5/23 that IMC sent an announcement out that their site would only accommodate their trade show exhibitors going forward.  Clearly if the site had been generating revenue and activity, this is not a decision they would have made.

 

Tundra -  As of July 2023, Tundra has also closed down.

DUNITZ & COMPANY is our proprietary site we built so you can work with us directly. It is the easiest for us to manage. We can offer more options on our own site.  Managing all of the others is a bit cumbersome. Want to order a bunch of Starry Night earrings for your store? On our site you can.  On the other sites, we can only make "assortments" available. Managing special orders and back-orders is easily done when working direct. With restrictions on other sites, it is more difficult. We also have some items we offer with lower margins. Our Judaica Collection is an example. We can't afford to list these designs on FAIRE and pay high commission. We've also learned that with FAIRE, they expect orders to ship almost as quickly as they are received. We need to limit what we offer on these sites to the items we stock deep and can ship super quickly.

 

Do I think everyone, everywhere is creating a B2B buying website to snag a piece of the pie? Yes. At the end of they day, I'm thrilled to obtain new business where-ever it comes from.  It's like that old story of which credit card I prefer. Visa or Amex? Truth is it's all good. I like it all. I'm not going to eliminate one because they charge me a larger fee. Are some of these B2B sites easier to use than others? Yes. Might I prefer one over another? Yes. Am I happy to have business come in from any of them? Yes. The bottom line is no matter where you shop, I appreciate you shopping Dunitz & Company's fair trade jewelry.

Please share with me your experiences with these sites. I'd love to hear from you. And thank you for being our customer. -ND

Christmas Windows We Adore - Now & Then

We love discovering Dunitz & Company fair trade jewelry in our client's retail stores. And this time of year, we adore seeing their Christmas windows. Here are some of our Christmas favorites. Most are from 2021. Some are from years past.

 

Eyes Gallery, Philadelphia PA

 

HumanKind fair trade, San Luis Obispo CA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Myers Fashion etc., Alpena MI

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winter Sun, Rhinebeck NY

 

Bead Wear, Towson MD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

World's Window, Kansas City MO

 

LuzLuna Imports, Half Moon Bay CA

 

 

 

 

 

Flavours of Life, New London CT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Sterling Butterfly, Martinsville IN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Fort Davis TX

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bohemian Rose, Bath ME 

Bay Gift Vault, Crisfield MD 

Creative Women of the World, Ft Wayne IN

Have seasonal windows we've missed? Please send me a pic and I'll gladly share your display in this post. And I'll add your website or facebook link as well. It is our pleasure to share info on our clients who support us by selling Dunitz & Company fair trade jewelry. We love you and appreciate you. -ND

November is for Thanks. Our Small Fair Trade Business Thanks You.

And like that, it's November. And November is for thanks. It's been a tough time for so many small fair trade businesses like ours. The trials and tribulations presented by Covid did not fall lightly on Dunitz & Company. And I know it's been a tough go for so many others. I thought this was the perfect time to prove the glass is always half full, not half empty. In no particular order, and on behalf of Dunitz & Company, here is a bunch of thanks. [And if you want to know why this pic to the right is so special, you'll need to read to the end!]

 

 

We're thankful for our customers, many who keep coming back time and time again. Clearly they wouldn't be reordering if our fair trade jewelry didn't sell. We also know there are so many choices out there. And we're thankful they do keep coming back. When brick & mortar stores began opening up again earlier this year, we were overjoyed that so many of our existing customers restocked with our designs. (This collage was made in 2015. It certain shows how much we appreciate you all!.)

 

We're thankful for our clients who have collaborated with us to create custom designs for their stores. There are too many to name. We did write a blog post not too long ago, where we singled out many projects. Click to check it out here. You might get some good ideas for your store! The earrings featured to the right are offered by ZeeBee Market in Saint Louis.

 

 

 

 

We're thankful for our artisan colleagues in Guatemala who continue to produce high quality jewelry that our customers want. Even with Covid, we've managed to keep things going and people working. (You can see I put together this collage before I stopped coloring my hair.) These are some of the folks I work with in Guatemala. We make a difference for them. They make a difference for us.

 

 

 

We're thankful for the Small Business Administration and the loans and in some cases forgiveness they provided for some of that loan money during Covid times. The extra slush has helped Dunitz & Company as we say "keep our head above water."

 

 

 

 

 

We're thankful for our supportive fair trade colleagues. There are those that share ideas instead of hiding them. Ones that give you shout-outs from time to time, just because. This year we've collaborated on several projects with HoonArts, Sevya and Baskets of Africa. Our most recent collaboration was a joint gift to Fair Trade Federation for their virtual auction fundraiser.

 

 

 

We're thankful for our newest company mascot that brings love and humor to our office daily. We're speaking of Bella the weimaraner. She joined us in March from the Los Angeles Shelter.

 

 

 

 

 

We're thankful for our often messy office, which allows us to get our work done in a safe place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We're thankful for our office landlord who reduced our monthly rent during these crazy times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We're thankful for our neighbors who pawn off their used boxes and packing materials on us. We love not spending money on packing materials when we don't have to. And we also like knowing by recycling, we are saving our planet just a little bit. Our neighbors run a small vegan grocery.

 

 

 

 

We're thankful for the support organizations we're part of that continue to educate the masses about the merits of fair trade. Fair Trade Federation, Fair Trade Los Angeles, Green America.

 

 

 

We're thankful for our museum store clients and our membership at Museum Store Association. (My love of fine art, my art history studies and my new found love as a portrait artist feed my love of working with museum stores even more.)

 

 

We're thankful for the new "wholesale rep" websites (in the absence of trade shows,) that have sprung up and grown in recent times. FAIRE and ABOUND have allowed us to find and connect with new retail stores. This new way of connecting with retailers may mean we won't have to travel to trade shows as they now become available again.

 

We're thankful that some of our customers are now selling Dunitz & Company jewelry online. We always knew they'd have success. I think the downtime from Covid allowed many of our clients to grease up their websites. Did you know we have a store locator function on our websites? If we don't have a retailer in any given area, these websites will pop up as options to purchase our designs. [Note: To be listed on our store locator, you need to have purchased from us within 6 months.]

 

We're thankful for Etsy. Our sales on Etsy wouldn't support us. However, the retail business we've garnered during Covid lock down on this site has allowed us to cover some of those bills that never stopped coming in. If you have an Etsy shop and you're looking for expert help on how to boost your sales, we highly recommend Dave DeNard. Watch his YouTube videos and consider some of his virtual classes. Thank you, Dave.

 

 

 

 

We're thankful that more buyers are finding our retail site we fondly call Shop Dunitz. Seriously, we don't drive that much traffic to our retail site. And when we do, it makes us dance a little happy dance.

 

 

We're thankful for the colleagues and friends that allowed us to interview them during these crazy Covid times for our blog. It's hard to believe just how long this pandemic has been going on. It was way back in June 2020 that I interviewed Lindsay Woodruff of Pachamama Market. In February 2021 I featured designers that work in Guatemala including Anne Kelly (Mayan Hands), Caryn Maxim and Jennifer Webster (Mayamam Weavers) and Alison Havens (Yabal.) Yes, I shared my own stories too. In June 2021, I interviewed Elisha Chan, Executive Director of Fair Trade LA. Please check out these posts. Everyone had something worthwhile to say. If you think I should interview you, let me know know.

We're thankful for our fans and followers on Facebook and Instagram. We don't always know if you're watching.We definitely appreciate your likes and comments. Keep them coming. And post pics wearing your jewelry. We love being featured in Stories. We do have a few super fans. So to all of you, thank you.

 

Did I say November is for thank yous? I'm sure Dunitz & Company owes a bunch more thanks to a bunch more people than what I've shared above. In any case this is definitely a good start. These definitely have been tough times. And, I'm thankful for all the good I've shared and encountered during them. Stay well my friends and Thank You! 

The morning after completing this post, I was driving to meet a friend for breakfast. The car in front had the perfect license plate. It was as if the universe was speaking back at me. The light changed. I got stuck behind the red light as the perfect plate sped ahead. Phew, I was catching up again. And then a car scooted in front of me. Needless to say I was disappointed I didn't capture a photo. A bit later down the road, I was caught by another light. And there in the left turn lane was the car, with the perfect plate. Snap. Snap. It gets better. The reason I sometimes snap plates is because my niece posts a lot of "good ones" on her Instagram. You know, It's a way to connect with her. I didn't realize until I was actually texting her a pic of this plate later in the day, that the car ended up being under the sign "Rocco's." And then I knew the universe was also speaking to her. Rocco was her much beloved pit pull who passed away very recently. He was sending Thank yous from heaven. -ND