Finding small-batch handcrafted jewelry in BC can take more digging than it should.

Online, everything looks polished. It isn’t always clear who designed it, where it’s produced, or whether you’re supporting an independent jeweller or a large-scale supplier. As marketplaces like Etsy have grown, spaces that were once primarily handmade have become crowded with generic, mass-produced designs. That shift can make it harder to distinguish true small-batch, handcrafted, artist-led jewelry from factory-made pieces.

If you’re searching for jewelry created by a real designer, rooted in this landscape, and made with intention, a few details matter.

What to Look for When Choosing a Jeweller

Ask direct questions.

Are these your own designs?
How are they made?
What metals are you using?
What’s in your alloys?
Where do you ship from?

Reach out and talk to them. Read their About page and learn about their background. A jeweller who designs and creates their own work, and who understands the craft, should be able to speak clearly about their process and their training, and honestly, they’ll probably love talking about it.

Techniques such as lost-wax casting, fabrication, and hand finishing take time and skill. Those details show up in how thoughtfully a piece is made and how well it holds up over years of wear.

Small-batch, handcrafted jewelry usually reflects that level of care. You can see it in the finishing and the details. That’s often the difference between something designed with intention and something made to move quickly.

Where to Shop Local Art & Jewelry in BC

A great place to start is with the local shops in your community — the ones known for supporting artists and small businesses.

Local boutiques and galleries are often the backbone of our creative communities. They build real relationships with the makers they carry, curate thoughtfully, and stand behind the work they bring into their stores.

These local, woman-owned and operated businesses are some of my favourites:

West Coast Karma

A welcoming shop in the Comox Valley run by Mel, featuring her own West Coast Karma line alongside a thoughtfully curated collection of Canadian and Vancouver Island makers, artists, and small business wares.

Island Affair Giftware

A longtime supporter of local artists and small businesses, Island Affair continues the legacy of its owner, Lila, and remains a heartfelt space dedicated to local creative work.

Cork It Winemaking

Run by mountain-loving mama Melanie Gagnon, this boutique at the front of the wine making shop highlights handcrafted goods and Canadian brands in a warm, community-focused storefront. You can browse artisan pieces and bottle your own cider or wine in the same visit.

Vernon Public Art Gallery

A respected gallery space supporting artists and contemporary craft from across the province, with a curated shop that reflects BC’s creative talent.

Campbell River Art Gallery

A community-focused gallery that champions regional artists by featuring rotating spotlights of local artists and makers.

Shopping locally also gives you something you can’t get from big marketplaces: a chance to connect with the designer behind the work.

Take a minute to learn what inspires them. The story behind a piece often matters just as much as the materials.

My own designs are shaped by the natural beauty that surrounds me. Vancouver Island is the place I call home — where I live, work, and spend most of my time outdoors, surrounded by mountains, forests, and ocean coastline. That landscape naturally finds its way into everything I create.

Jewelry Inspired by the Mountains, Forests, and Ocean of BC

Nature-inspired jewelry has always been at the heart of my work. Mountain lines, forest textures, and the rhythm of the ocean shape the forms you see throughout my collections.

It was love at first introduction to the craft. From there, I completed an intensive three-year program at Vancouver Community College, earning my diploma in Jewelry Art and Design. During that time, I received an award for the best design of a water-inspired jewelry display, and I’ve never stopped designing pieces that reflect the movement and textures of nature.

There is always a relationship between the wearer and the piece. Jewelry becomes wearable art. It holds memory. It marks a place, a person, or a version of yourself you feel strongest in. The pieces we reach for every day usually mean something.

Because when you feel good in what you’re wearing, you carry yourself differently, and confidence is the best damn thing you can wear!

Where to Find Local Handcrafted Jewelry in BC

Finding small-batch, locally created, handcrafted jewelry should feel like a joy.

Visit the shops that support artists. Stop by markets and pop-ups. Talk to the designers themselves. Ask questions. Learn the story behind what you’re wearing.

Those connections matter just as much as the piece you take home.

When you choose jewelry made with intention and care, you feel the difference, and you notice it every time you put it on.