Artist Statement

Metal is in my blood. My ancestors were coppersmiths, sheet metal workers and artists. I am a jeweler. I’m inspired by nature and its signals of growth, rebirth and change. The Japanese refer to the observation and appreciation for the cycle of life as wabi sabi. It’s a simple aesthetic, one that appreciates the beauty in imperfection and the elimination of the non-essential. It's rustic, subtle and treads lightly on the planet. This has been a guiding principle in my work and my life.

I believe that social and environmental responsibility should take a more prominent role in the fashion industry. There is an emerging slow-fashion movement based in sustainability and ethical values instead of disposability and frivolous waste. I have based my career on these same beliefs and it’s exciting to see such a large community of designers focusing on this today.

Incorporating ethically sourced, recycled and vintage objects into my work is a natural part of my construction process. For me, ethical sourcing involves a transparent supply chain (not unlike the slow food movement - where there is a visible link from seed to table). The stones that I work with must have a clear and trackable mine to market custody chain. In order to achieve this, I work with stones from small, family owned mines, as well as individual rockhounds that hand collect, cut and polish the materials themselves. I also do a lot of my own stone cutting from rock found in the 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s. The claims in the US are well managed and when the extraction is complete, the entire disturbance is reclaimed and recovered (re-seeded & planted).

It is possible to have a beautifully designed piece of jewelry made with interesting materials whose cultivation does not fund corrupt organizations or promote unfair labor practices. I do not use conflict or questionable gemstones in my work. It's extremely difficult to assess whether certain stones have entered the international trade legally or if their sale is linked to environmental devastation or social and ethical issues like child labor, violence against women, smuggling and corruption. Because there is no universal standard in place for labeling ethical gems at this time, I will not use a stone in my jewelry unless I know its provenance (history).

I use 100% recycled precious metals from Hoover & Strong. All of their precious metals are recycled from the Earth’s existing metal supply; they do not buy metals from mining companies. In the studio, I recycle all of my scrap metal and have a very active "recycling program” which encourages clients to send me their broken, unworn or unloved jewelry so I can refine it. I offer a fair trade-in value and clients receive credit towards the purchase of new jewelry.

I educate myself about the materials I work with to understand where they come from and whose lives they may impact. I’m always exploring more conscious and sustainable options for my jewelry materials.

Kirsten Muenster

 

Background

Kirsten graduated in 1995 from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Her studies included various craft techniques, with a primary focus on jewelry fabrication, casting, welding and metalworking. She was taught the art of stone cutting while living in Los Angeles. She has established her professional studio in San Francisco.

Kirsten believes that positive change is happening in the industry regarding the use of ethical materials. The number of jewelers demanding recycled metal and ethically sourced stones is growing. She knows that asking questions, voicing concerns to suppliers and keeping the dialog open within the jewelry community are all crucial steps in bringing about these changes. Sharing ideas, sources and links is also important and that's why she communicates her perspective and research on her personal blog and maintains an extensive list of eco resources.

Kirsten knows that studio jewelers and metalsmiths have the power to influence the mining industry. She uses her voice to aid mining reform efforts and to help generate industry demand for responsibly sourced metals. She is part of a large community of jewelers involved with Ethical Metalsmiths, a non-profit organization dedicated to connecting people to responsibly sourced metals and gemstones. She was a guest contributer to their newsletter, and wrote an article sharing her insights and research regarding ethical sourcing.

For the past few years Kirsten has been involved with Global Green USA, a national environmental organization, by donating several pieces of jewelry to the silent auction at Global Green’s “Gorgeous and Green” fashion show and fundraiser, as well as the 10th Annual Millennium Awards. Proceeds from these events support Global Green USA and its efforts to rebuild a sustainable New Orleans and advance green affordable housing, solar and high performance schools in San Francisco, Los Angeles and cities across the country.

Kirsten just finished filming with the Sundance Channel and Josh Dorfman for an episode on the second season of The Lazy Environmentalist. She is the contributing eco-jewelry expert, sharing information about ethical material options and sourcing.
 
SELECTED TV/VIDEO
Sundance Channel - The Lazy Environmentalist, Eco-Jewelry Expert
ABC7 News - The View from the Bay

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
1000 Ideas For Creative Reuse by Garth Johnson, Quarry Books
Style, Naturally by Summer Rayne Oakes, Chronicle Books
The Eco Chick Guide to Life by Starre Vartan, St. Martin's Griffin
Gorgeously Green by Sophie Uliano, Harper Collins

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
Solo Exhibition, Beatrice Wood Center For The Arts, Ojai, CA
SWELL - Future Friendly Design, Vancouver, BC Canada
Composting Good and Evil: Redesign for Sanctimonious Sinners,
        Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah, GA
Celebrating Nature: Craft Traditions/Contemporary Expressions, Craft and            Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, CA

SELECTED MAGAZINES
Metalsmith Magazine
Jewelry Quorum
Plenty
Lucky
Natural Health
Martha Stewart Body + Soul

SELECTED ORGANIZATIONS
Ethical Metalsmiths
Global Green USA
Madison Dialog Group
No Dirty Gold Pledge

 

Materials

One of a Kind Collection
Metal
I use recycled silver refined by Hoover & Strong. They provide socially and environmentally-responsible products and services. They respect basic human rights around the world and protect the environment by conserving energy and recycling. All precious metals at Hoover & Strong are recycled from the Earth’s existing metal supply. They do not buy metals from mining companies. In 2009, Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), a globally-recognized independent third-party certifier and sustainability expert, certified the recycled metal content in Hoover & Strong’s HARMONY Metals™ line.

Stones
Montana Moss Agate is one of the alluvial agates, rain and wind constantly reveal these stones - they are naturally unearthed and found in gravel deposits and along lake-shores, scattered over a huge area along the Yellowstone River and its tributaries. The beauty of this is that the Agates cannot be claimed, mined and dug-out by large mining operations.

Chinese Writing Stone was discovered when the government was blasting through the rock to build Interstate 80 in Auburn, CA. A few local families were allowed to take as much material as they could before the freeway was completed. These same few families sell the stone in small batches to this day.

Fossilized Coral, Wood, Bone and Fern
These materials are millions of years old (or hundreds of millions in some cases). All the organic matter has been replaced with minerals (most often a silicate, such as quartz), while retaining the original structure of the object. These fossils are naturally unearthed - so no mining or large scale operations are involved in the extraction of these materials.

Fossilized Walrus and Mammoth Tusk
Only the native people (the Yu'pik) that live on St. Lawrence Island are legally able to surface mine and sell fossilized ivory. The walrus was to the Yu'pik what the buffalo was to the Native American - every part of the animal was used. St Lawrence Island is so far north it has no trees - so the tusk was the only material hard enough for tool making. These tools were eventually broken, discarded and then buried by time - and dug up thousands of years later. 60% of the fossil tusk I use comes from broken tools and artifacts that are around ten thousand years old. This recycled, fossilized material provides the Yu'pik with a viable source of income and no living animal was harmed in it's procurement.

Amber
Amber is fossilized tree resin - aged between 30 and 100 million years old.

Horn
Many animals grow and shed their horns/antlers naturally every year. This process repeats itself for the life of the animal.

Sustainable Nuts & Seeds
Betel, Forest Bismark, Piassaba, Jessenia Palm, Raffia Palm, Nubian and Stilt Root Palm

These nuts or “vegetable ivory”, are from different species of palm which grow in much of the tropical Pacific, Asia and parts of Africa. They are sustainably harvested from the forest floor when the cabeza containing the nuts ripens and falls. They are a renewable resource; their native habitat is preserved and sufficient seeds are left to perpetuate the palms.

Recycled
Copper firebrick is a byproduct of the copper smelting process. It consists of the copper that stuck to the fire brick walls of the smelters in copper ore processing plants in Northern Michigan. Most of these smelters are no longer in operation.

Recycled glass beads are handmade from colored glass bottles and glass factory shards. The growing desire for these beautiful frosted beads encourages recycling efforts worldwide and supplies a viable income for many impoverished areas.

Vintage
Vintage components are ideal, as no new resources are being tapped or exploited. Recycle, repurpose and reuse!

I repurpose vintage glass and plastic buttons, mother of pearl belt buckles, chains and stones. My Great-Grandparents owned and operated a lace shop and collected vintage buttons and buckles; these treasures were passed down to me. I also collect vintage components from antique dealers all over the US.

Cast Silver Collection
Metal    
I work with Sierra Pacific Casting, a local, family run company with over 30 years of experience. They are environmentally aware and source their supplies responsibly. They strive to create a shop environment that is safe and comfortable for their employees, as well as environmentally sound. They recycle their metal to the fullest extent they are able, and buy new silver grain that is recycled.