A strand of cotton is all that is needed to create a lasting bond of love and protection between siblings. The strands of yarn we use at Maya to create jewellery says the same to the environment. It is a day to reaffirm our bond with nature.
Maya is on a forever journey to be friendlier to the environment. Every piece of handcrafted jewellery we offer you is free from harmful Azo dyes; we never use metals like nickel that are harmful to you and the environment.
We cannot relate to the mass-production frenzy. Why buy lots of ‘things’ when you know most of them are going to end up in a landfill somewhere? A 2018 UNECE study found nearly 85% of all textiles are discarded every year. The fast fashion industry that also includes fashion jewellery sends nearly 300 million tons of waste that will never biodegrade. We make a conscious effort is to not let plastic anywhere in our production process not even our packaging.
Mass-produced says, “you simply must have something new that fits the new season”. Maya says, “here’s our Bombus Stone Necklace and it’ll shine on you, come rain or sunshine.” We work hard to create jewellery that is timeless, that follows the beautiful rhythm of changing seasons, that pays no mind to your age, skin color or gender. We would rather have our artisans craft one or two necklaces in a day, because the handcrafting process must be allowed its due time to fully realize its potential, than make hundreds of pieces never to be worn. Mayas limited edition pieces, are crafted to last a lifetime.
We work hard to design pieces that are versatile, that can be worn in two, three, four ways. Take for example our Calcedonia and fresh water pearl necklace; you could wear it in so many ways! Why do we do this? Because one step towards sustainability is to maximize usage out of a product and eliminate the need for three.
We use cotton yarn and jute, materials that are biodegradable. We are moving towards hemp because it pays us to have the environment’s back. Yes, cotton, hemp and jute jewellery could break or fray at the edges; that is part of their natural lifecycle, don’t throw them away yet; bring them back to us and we will repair them for you.
We realise that even though we follow a small-batch, slow-craft policy, there still is wastage. To the untrained eye it is tailor-made for a landfill. To our artisans and designers, it’s filled with possibilities for creating something new. Like the stuffed Christmas trees we gave out gifts last year. Hand stitched and stuffed with leftover threads, these little beauties find their way to our customers, vendors and employees hearts and home.
Sustainability is a constant conversation at Maya. It’s a forever journey and we hope you will join in and walk it with us.
