Right now, we are all helping to shape the future of handmade.

Welcome.

This is a community built on trust and the highest ethical principles. All sellers must commit to the Handmade.com Ethical Pledge to ensure that the items they list meet our definitions of handmade by category and that their practices conform to the highest ethical standards.

Transcript of the Handmade.com Ethical Pledge

Made by hand. I pledge that every product I list on Handmade.com meets Handmade.com’s definitions of handmade by category. I understand that credible reports of violations will result in Handmade.com suspending sales of relevant products for review and potential suspension of my store. I understand that a confirmed violation may result in the immediate removal of my products and store from Handmade.com.

Keep it ethical. I pledge that I, and my place of business, and any artists, artisans, or artisan groups that I represent, commit to adhering to the highest ethical standards, including honesty, integrity, trustworthiness, and respect for the unique intrinsic value of all collaborators, sellers, shoppers, and staff at Handmade.com.

Uphold fair labor principles. Based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as defined by the United Nations, and the International Labor Organization’s standards, I pledge to steadfastly uphold core values such as no forced labor, no child labor, to allow for freedom of association, and I pledge to provide wages, benefits, and working hours in compliance with all applicable national laws and regulations in the region where my listings are made and where I do business.

Ensure safe working conditions. I pledge that at my place of business and that of any artists, artisans, or artisan groups I represent, safe and healthy working conditions will be ensured for all, and that compliance with all applicable local environmental, safety and health regulations will likewise be guaranteed.

Prohibit harassment and abuse. I pledge that at my place of business and that of any artists, artisans and artisan groups I represent, everyone will be treated with respect and dignity, and no one will be subject to any physical, sexual, psychological or verbal harassment or abuse.

Practice nondiscrimination. I pledge that at my place of business and that of any artists, artisans, or artisan groups I represent, no discrimination will occur in any aspect of hiring, salary, benefits, advancement, discipline, termination or retirement, for any reason including gender, color, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status, nationality, political opinion or political affiliation, union involvement, or social or ethnic origin.

Take environmental responsibility. I pledge that my place of business and that of any artists, artisans, or artisan groups I represent will operate in a manner that is protective of the environment. I further pledge to minimize our carbon footprint and abide by environmentally supportive, sustainable practices, including sustainable raw materials choices and production methods.

Choose ethical materials. I pledge that my place of business and that of any artists, artisans, or artisan groups I represent will practice mindful material selection, prioritizing raw materials with minimal environmental impact while also adhering to ethical sourcing choices. I further pledge that we will diligently reduce our carbon footprint by including energy-efficient processes and equipment, and will take advantage of sunlight when possible, unplug electronic devices when not in use, and promote the use of shared transport and/or environmentally-friendly transportation options.

Minimize waste. I pledge that my place of business and that of any artists, artisans, or artisan groups I represent will minimize packaging and shipping waste, choosing biodegradable or recyclable options while minimizing or eliminating any unnecessary packaging. I further pledge that I will regularly review and enhance our environmental practices, and will embrace environmental innovation while staying abreast of the most sustainable options.

Be ethically upstanding. I pledge to honor the highest ethical standards of handmade and fair trade. I further pledge to participate as an upstanding member of the Handmade.com seller community, treating others with kindness and respect.

There’s no combination of words that creates harmonious magic. In the end, it comes down to our actions and our choices, and remembering to be kind to one another. Here, accountability matters.

The road ahead is filled with tremendous people, gorgeous discoveries, and unexpected delights.

By signing the Pledge, artists, artisans, and their representatives commit to uphold all aspects of the Handmade.com Ethical Pledge.

Would you like to open your own Handmade.com storefront? We invite you to apply here now.

There is a quiet revolution sweeping the world.

You’ve noticed.

In almost every store. Somewhere in almost every refrigerator. Restaurant. Closet. Winery. Bakery. Beauty counter. Service provider. Artisan-made. It’s right there, boldly on the label, silently staring back at us.

Why? Because people really do care. In a world increasingly anonymous and consolidated, we seek balance. Instinctively and purposefully. We crave meaning and authenticity—now more than ever. And perhaps, just perhaps, we begin to remember who we are. Not so long ago, most of us were artisans. A hundred years ago? Less? Welcome home, we might start saying to each other. Welcome home. And let’s start talking about it.

Handmade is a movement of We. It belongs to all of us. It is core to our beings. It is a partnership of many. Fundamental to those of us who choose to vote with our dollars for quality, fair trade, and authenticity—in every realm of our lives. The Handmade Movement is fast outgrowing its original niche of artisanal companies and supportive customers. We are many, many millions, everywhere.

Handmade is a very powerful concept. It is a belief system. One that appreciates quality. Culture. Heritage. Nature. Accountability. Fair trade. The Handmade Movement is relevant in all aspects of our lives, and bridges all lines of work, all cultures, all borders. It’s apolitical. Handmade is the alternative to a future most of us won’t accept. Where everything is the same. Where everyone looks the same. Eats the same. Where meaning and culture and tradition are lost.

Handmade is the beautiful, attainable alternative.

We are honored to be one of the founding voices in the Handmade Movement, dating back to our parent company Novica’s launch in 1999. We work very hard, every single day, to assist the world’s keepers of the arts. Handcrafts are our realm, our passion, our focus. We’re thrilled that our impact group has already climbed to millions of customers and tens of thousands of artisans and their dependents. So many lives improved thanks to our visionary logistics teams, our innovative tech teams, our devoted in-country region teams, and our impassioned customers.

To our customers—you make a difference every single time you choose handmade over factory made. We’re profoundly grateful to you for this choice.

In every aspect of our lives, each of us encounters handmade choices every day. The choice to support our fellow human beings and small businesses, rather than anonymous conglomerates. The choice to buy or grow organic, rather than factory farmed. The choice to invest in meaningful products that endure—and a healthier, sustainable, equitable future. Because it’s the right thing to do.

Join us. And fasten your seatbelts!

Oh, and welcome home!

Silver’s surge past $100 per ounce this January has set a market record, redrawing the economics of handmade jewelry, elevating sterling silver’s status in the luxury conversation, and creating new uncertainty for artisan silversmiths around the world. If silver prices remain elevated, this moment may prove a broader turning point in how handmade silver jewelry is valued worldwide.

For Handmade.com and sister marketplace Novica.com, the shift is unfolding in real time across artisan workshops, supply channels, and customer demand. The NOVICA group is watching silver’s historic climb transform both the cost and cultural meaning of handcrafted silver jewelry. Together, Handmade.com and Novica.com are believed to operate the world’s largest fair trade handmade jewelry marketplace group, serving customers in more than 100 countries and offering more than 27,000 unique jewelry SKUs at any given time.

Compared with a year ago, silver prices have roughly tripled. That rise is rippling across the jewelry industry, from independent artisan-designers to major commercial brands, while drawing renewed global attention to silver as both a precious metal and a luxury material.

“Inside this silver market disruption is a decisive shift we are witnessing in real time,” NOVICA CEO Roberto Milk says. “We are seeing new customers drawn to silver because sterling now carries greater luxury appeal at all-time highs. In some ways, this moment is rewriting the prestige of silver craftsmanship worldwide.”

That shift is especially significant for a marketplace where genuine .925 sterling silver accounts for approximately 20 percent of annual handmade jewelry sales. Long prized by silversmiths for its durability, malleability, and beauty, sterling silver has historically occupied a space between accessibility and refinement. Now, as prices climb, that balance is changing.

“We are living through a cultural and economic shift where silver is reclaiming its historical role as a truly precious metal,” says Nina Cooper, a jewelry artisan-designer who sells on Handmade.com. “Silver jewelry has been elevated beyond inexpensive or casual purchases. Today it stands firmly in a position of affordable luxury.”

The forces behind silver’s rise are unusually broad. Geopolitical instability, inflation concerns, multi-year supply deficits, rising industrial demand, retail investor interest, and concerns over future scarcity have all helped push the metal higher. Unlike gold, silver carries a dual identity: it is prized as an adornment and for its value as a precious metal, and also for its important role in electronics, solar technology, and advanced manufacturing.

That dual role has made silver newly central to conversations about value. While gold remains the dominant symbol of security and prestige, silver is increasingly being reassessed as a metal with both practical demand and growing luxury cachet. Some analysts have suggested the metal could move even higher in extended bullish conditions, though forecasts vary and should not be considered investment advice.

Silver’s late-January break above $100 per ounce marks the highest nominal price in recorded history. For artisan communities, that milestone carries a hard edge. Handmade jewelry production depends on daily access to raw materials. And in some regions, access is becoming more difficult and more expensive by the week.

“This could be devastating for many of the master silversmiths we work with in places such as Bali, India, Mexico, and Central America who are reporting that the street value of buying raw silver is higher than even the international market because supply is so limited, in some cases exceeding $125 per ounce locally,” Milk says.

That disconnect between benchmark prices and local purchasing realities is where the silver boom becomes most consequential. For many artisans, higher prices mean narrower margins, harder sourcing decisions, and the possibility that production itself may become unsustainable unless customers continue to buy at higher retail prices.

Yet there is another possibility embedded in the same moment: that rising silver prices may deepen global appreciation for the skill, labor, and cultural inheritance behind handmade silver jewelry. If silver is no longer seen as a secondary metal, then the work of artisan silversmiths may also be viewed through a new lens that recognizes handcrafted sterling silver jewelry as a category of luxury in its own right.

That tension now defines the market. The same surge that threatens artisan production may also elevate artisan prestige.

Handmade.com and Novica.com operate at the intersection of craftsmanship, culture, and global commerce. Originally launched in partnership with National Geographic in 2000, NOVICA helped pioneer direct-to-consumer global craft e-commerce and today remains a leading force in fair trade, artisan empowerment, and cultural preservation.

Together, its two online marketplaces offer a continuously evolving catalog of more than 50,000 handcrafted products, including jewelry, home decor, handwoven textiles, ethical apparel, and original fine art. A model built on long-term artisan partnerships and a commitment to sustaining traditional craftsmanship in a global retail environment.