More and more, when we’re out at shows, people ask us which of our products are Canadian. And that answer is an easy one.
100% of our products are made in Canada. They are made by me, by hand, here in Canada. Supporting my business means supporting a Canadian small business. All of the earrings, bracelets, pendants, and necklaces are made here in Canada. Again, by me. One person. No outsourcing.
But when it comes to jewellery, there has been a rising desire from people to ask where each individual component of a piece comes from. And for that question, I wish there was an easy answer.
A great deal of our components are produced in Canada, or at least purchased from other Canadian companies. Not all of the gemstones in our pieces are native to Canada, but we endeavour to do our best to make sure we’re buying the raw materials from other Canadians. Long story short, we try to keep as much of our budget in Canada as possible, despite the fact that jewellery is built upon a global community. We have wonderful partners here in Toronto and across the country that we love working with.
But in the interest of full disclosure, we do have a fair amount of stock from all over the world. But don’t worry. The prices don’t reflect any sort of increases on our end. They’re the same as they always were, and in some cases, have even decreased.
When I started Meli & JimJam two years ago, I knew that one of the most important things to sustaining the business was having materials on hand to continually make stock. With that in mind - and in the pre-tariff era - I looked far and wide for the best quality gemstones, components, and materials at the best prices. With decades of experience in the jewellery industry, I knew what to look for and where to look. This included a wonderful excursion to the legendary Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, where I made many great purchases and discoveries, including the purchasing of a lot of bulk materials that I still use regularly at the moment.
But once those materials are gone, I’m uncertain as to whether or not they will be back. Since early 2025, well before the current political kerfuffle with the United States, I've limited any purchases from American wholesalers or designers. For now, we’re committed to partnering with Canadian companies, many of whom are dealing with the same headaches we have to face as a smaller business.
The point to all of this is to say that we are a Canadian company that produces everything we make with love and pride in Toronto. But if we sometimes give you a deer in headlights look if you ask us which pieces are fully made of Canadian components, that’s because the answer could take awhile. Many of our pieces are of mixed, global origin, based on the stock we’ve had on hand for quite some time. Our components come from all over the world, not just Canada and the United States. But by supporting us, you’re still supporting a Canadian small business and a Canadian artist; someone just trying to make a go of it in this new and often scary economy like everyone else.
(Picture from Royal Canadian Mint)