TO YOU Jewelry

A Canadian, purpose-driven, small business with the mission to create a positive impact on the earth, TO YOU Jewelry is passionate about empowering women. Giving back is at the heart of everything they do!

Can you start by telling TreeEra readers what TO YOU Jewelry is all about?

Hi, my name is Thais and I am the owner of TO YOU Jewelry! I have always dreamed of turning my hobby of fine jewelry design into a business. I studied Architecture, Urban Planning and Design back in my home country of Brazil and enrolled in a jewelry-making class after moving to Toronto in 2016. The amazing and talented jewelry makers I met in Canada inspired me to turn my dreams into a reality.

I am a lover of all things beautiful and green: art, architecture, graphic design, poetry, music, interior design, travel, coffee, sustainability, and of course, trees! After my daughter was born in 2019, I decided I needed to create a positive impact and make the world a better place for my family.

TO YOU’s mission is to empower women to follow their dreams while at the same time giving back to the earth and community by making affordable, sustainable fine jewelry. I am inspired by the meaningful things we should celebrate in everyday life. Each TO YOU piece is ethically and sustainably made. I only use eco-friendly packaging and have partnered with TreeEra to plant a tree for every purchase of TO YOU Jewelry. Along with planting trees, I will also give back a portion of my sales to a non-profit organization that supports women and children in need.

TO YOU Jewelry is designed and made with love by women.

What made you want to take action against climate change in a positive way?

I have always been passionate about sustainability and making a positive impact on our environment. It is very important for me, personally and professionally, to plant a tree for every order to offset carbon emissions and help minimize climate change.

Empowering women, sustainability, and giving back to the earth and community is what my business is all about. I believe making small actions to help our planet can go a long way. TO YOU’s current ethical and sustainable actions are based on 7 pillars:

Offsetting carbon emissions: TO YOU Jewelry is planting a tree for every order on behalf of our customers. We have partnered with TreeEra, and we are planting trees in Canada, Costa Rica, and Africa to support the fight against climate change. The Earth needs us!
Community: For every purchase of TO YOU Jewelry, a portion of the proceeds will go to a non-profit in support of women and children in need in Ontario, such as Ernestine’s Women’s Shelter.
Support local: When it comes to production, we work with local commercial partners, and we try to support small woman-owned businesses as much as we can!
Direct TO YOU, at fair pricing: TO YOU sells directly to our customers, avoiding the costs and markups that make typical fine jewelry so expensive.
Product longevity: Carefully handcrafted to last! We design and handmake our pieces with the highest quality materials so they can be worn for years and years.
Small batch production: We only produce in small quantities to avoid waste.
Packaging: With your amazing partner, noissue, TO YOU’s packaging promises to be eco-friendly. The jewelry box can be used to store your piece or reused for other purposes. Our shipping box is made of 100% recycled materials. We also only use paper stickers and tissues that meet the following certifications: FSC Certified, Soy-based Inks (soy inks are an eco-friendly alternative to petroleum-based inks, made from soybeans renewable resource).

TO YOU Jewelry is made for women who care about our planet as much as I do! I believe one of the best ways to encourage sustainable business practices is to vote with your dollar.

Are there any other businesses that you think we should be putting our dollars towards?

Recycling. I think recycling is extremely important and something that every business in every industry should consider.

What do you see as the biggest roadblock when it comes to businesses adopting sustainability into their everyday operations? What do you recommend they do?

Education is key and one of the biggest roadblocks for sure. Sometimes small business owners don’t know how to implement measures to adopt sustainability into their everyday operations. I think what TreeEra is doing with small businesses is great. Every initiative counts!

I also don’t think there are many sources for sustainable vendors in Canada. When I started planning my small business, I found it very hard to find companies that could offer sustainable services for small businesses, such as packaging, printing, etc.