The North Star Story

Hello and welcome. I'm Alex, the one woman show behind North Star Jewelry Co. 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 make jewelry using fire. This new approach to the craft lit an inner fire within me, and I haven't looked back since. 

I use ancient jewelry techniques to create my jewelry designs, including soldering, forming and forging, wax carving; stone setting; and hand-engraving. In this work I am standing on the shoulders of giants and it is my sincere joy to use my jewelry practice as a path to ancestral connection. I do not work with mined metals, opting instead for industrially recycled precious metals or reclaiming silver and gold by hand in my fully equipped jewelry studio.  Ethically mined, natural gemstones form the heart and soul of many of my designs, and I am particularly drawn to North American mined gems, sapphires of American and Sri Lankan provenance, and antique/upcycled diamonds. I also cut my own cabochons for inlay and custom designs in my lapidary studio; an aspect of the jewelry process I am excited to explore more deeply as I write this in January 2025. I pour my heart and soul into each piece I create and I hope my passion for this work is evident.

I endeabour to keep my environmental footprint as small as possible in each aspect of my business operations. In addition to working exclusively with recycled and reclaimed precious metals and ethically mined gems, I use packaging and shipping materials that are post-consumer recycled.

Through our Be the Change initiative, North Star Jewelry Co and it's community have raised nearly $10,000 since 2020 to support causes that align with our vision for the world, including girls' and womens' rights, Indigenous sovereignty, and old growth forest protection. 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. Thank you for seeking beauty. Thank you for supporting handcraft traditions and keeping the ancient practice of talismanic jewelry alive.