FAQ

I care deeply about the planet and am constantly looking for ways to reduce my impact. Here are some of the efforts S. Howell Studios is currently making.

-Shopping second hand: much of the furniture, fixtures and equipment is second hand in addtion to smaller things like hand towels and small tools.

-Using hand towels instead of paper towels whenever possible. Paper towels are used very sparingly. A single roll of unbleached, 100% recycled paper towels lasts over two years.

-Biodgradable gloves: used sparingly. One box lasts over 3 years.

-Eliminating waste and using biodegradable waste bags. A 1.5 gallon waste bin takes approximately 4 months to fill.

-Using energy efficient, LED light bulbs

-Purchasing tools, supplies and inventory from companies who care about the planet such as Rio Grande, a net zero energy company, Hoover & Strong who has recycled and fair mined products, and Halstead, a solar powered company who uses recycled packaging and offers as much recycled metal as possible.

-Recycling or composting all packaging materials received with tools, supplies and inventory.

-Significantly reducing paper waste by using reusable, dry erase sticky notes and reusable notebooks. When office paper is required, it is 100% recycled.

-Using eco friendly alternatives to common chemicals found in jewelry studios such as citric acid instead of chemical laden pickling solution and vegetable fat based, chemical free polishing compound.

-Using eco friendly, chemical free cleaning products including plant and mineral derived, dissolvable tablet cleaning spray and soaps as well as eco friendly dissolvable laundry sheets for washing studio towels. All of these products come in biodegradable packaging.

-Recycling the steel from flex shaft bits once they're worn down.

-Recycling all precious metal scraps including floor sweeps.

-Melting wax from flasks prepared for casting into a collection tray prior to doing a burnout to significantly reduce the amount of wax that is burned off.

-Soldering with an acetylene tank. According to the EPA, "acetylene does not pose a health or environmental hazard." It does not contribute to global warming. And the tank is refillable meaning it doesn't need to be disposed of or recycled.

-Using recycled metals as much as possible.

-Using sustainable packaging materials.

-Offsetting carbon for every order that is shipped out.

-Donating 1% of all sales to environmental causes through 1% for the Planet.

-My work is handcrafted in small batches with quality materials. It's unlikely that any of my work will ever end up in a landfill because the materials can be reused indefinitely.

-Following, reading, researching and learning from sustainability experts to try and become better every day.

Sure do.

The jewelry boxes, shipping boxes and tissue are all FSC-certified. The jewelry boxes use water based glue.

The gift bags I use at in person events are made with sustainable materials.

The postcard, business card, care card and instagram card are printed on recycled paper.

The shipping labels are from Eco Enclose. They are zero waste and used on a thermal printer that doesn't even require ink cartridges.

Aside from the foam insert in the jewelry box, everything is compostable and/or recyclable. Westpack, who makes the jewelry boxes has started making eco friendly foam inserts and I'm hoping they start making white ones soon.

Yes! As of January 1st, 2023, S. Howell Studios is a certified member of 1% for the Planet and one percent of all sales are donated to environmental causes.

Yes! Every package sent from S. Howell Studios automatically includes carbon offsetting with no charge to the customer. I purchase credits through a company called Cloverly who determines the cost of the offsetting based on package dimension, weight and shipping destination. They put the money towards an array of carbon offsetting projects which you can see here.

When S. Howell Studios first launched in 2019, I could confidently say that all of my silver was recycled except for the chain. In recent years, the demand for recycled metals continues to grow and it's been harder for jewelry supply companies to guarantee 100% recycled silver products. The suppliers I use have assured me that the majority of the silver is still recycled. So while I can't say that 100% of the silver I use is recycled, I can say that a large percentage of it is.

Yes. All of my gold comes from either Rio Grande who takes pride in ethical sourcing or Hoover & Strong's Harmony line of traceable, fairmined products.

All S. Howell Studios jewelry is handmade to order.

Orders are often completed and shipped within a few days to a week. However, please allow up to 3 weeks for your jewelry to be completed. If you need your piece(s) by a specific date or would like an estimate for how long it will take, contact me prior to placing your order. 

Some pieces have limited quantities due to stone availability. Some stones are an irregular shape making them truly one of a kind. This also means that the stone in your piece will likely have a slightly different shape or size than the one in the photos. If you'd like to see the available stones prior to placing your order, contact me and I'd be happy to send you a photo of the current stone options. If a piece is marked as sold out, it's likely because the stones are no longer carried. Often, the piece can be made with different stones. 

I don’t currently do true customs. However, there are a lot of customizations I am happy to make to my current designs. If you find a piece you like but there are some simple changes that would make you love it more, let’s talk! Here are some of the modifications I’m willing to make but this this is by no means exclusive: 

-Chain length

-Different stone(s)

-Different earwire

-Changing the orientation of a stone

Depending on the cost of materials and difference in labor to complete the redesign, there may be an additional fee. However, often times it works out to be the same as the original piece. Contact me to discuss your ideas!

Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Shopify Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay & PayPal

All payments, with the exception of Paypal, are processed via Shopify… one of the most trusted payment gateways in the world. Shopify uses the highest level of encryption and data security to ensure your details are protected. 

Only shipments going to an address in WY will be charged sales tax during checkout.

All domestic orders are shipped for free via USPS First Class Mail with no order minimum.

At this time we only ship within the U.S. See store policies for more info.

I want you to LOVE your jewelry! If for any reason you are not happy with your purchase, you can return the item(s) within 7 days after the order is received. Learn more in the store policies.