veganism: carve it in stone...or stamp in in metal.
As I’ve mentioned before, I love reviewing vegan freebies. I also love when I get the opportunity to promote local artists. Last week, Lavoro Designs gave me the unique opportunity to do both.
Stationed in Rockford, Illinois, Lavoro owner Shelly discovered her talent for making jewelry one 2009 evening while searching for the perfect pair of earrings. Unable to find a pair that she truly loved, she decided to create her own. Since then, her creations have grown from earrings to bracelets, rings, and lovely charm necklaces, much like the handstamped vegan necklace she designed for me to review.
A vegan herself since 2010, Shelly refuses to use animal products in her designs, that means no pearls, shells, bones, silk or leather. Furthermore, she likes to use local rocks found in the Great Lakes region whenever the design allows. Locally-sourced & cruelty-free? Sounds like a designer after my own heart. ♥
My first impression of the necklace upon it’s arrival is that it’s much smaller than I expected. The high quality photos of the design online had me anticipating metal disks around the size of pennies or nickels, but in actuality they are slightly smaller than dimes. At first this made me a bit disappointed [I love chunky jewelry], but I soon realized that the daintier appearance of the charms allows the necklace to double for both casual and evening attire. This is great for girls like me who find themselves running from work to an evening out with little time to change accessories.
The second thing I noticed about the design is the pretty blue bead Shelly had picked for my necklace. Normally customers select their own bead color upon placing their order, but I had told Shelly to use her own judgment and surprise me. The blue bead was also smaller than I had expected, but again, gave the necklace a more refined look. The three charms can be worn together or mixed and matched depending on your mood. Personally, I prefer the group as a whole, but those with simpler tastes might prefer less clutter.
In short, I’m in love with this necklace. The Omnivore keeps mentioning how cute it looks on me and I like the fact that it’s subtle advertising for my vegan lifestyle. So far, I have yet to have anyone comment on the charms, but I’m sure they’ll serve as a great conversation starter once someone observant notices their message.
Want one of your own?
You’re in luck! Shelly has offered VTB readers a special coupon code that gets you a FREE additional bead for your charm necklace! That means you’ll get two metal disks [one stamped ‘vegan’ or ‘raw’, the other stamped with the year you went veg or any 4-letter word of your choice] and TWO beads in the colors of your choosing for just $20 [chain included]. Just enter in the coupon code “VTB” in the comments section of your order as well as the bead colors and words you want included on your necklace. It’s that easy!
Vegans Taste Better. 
Thanks Michelle! Enjoy it!