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About Kyler by Joy O Our Designer Jewelry | The Designer | Environment | Giving Back | The name Kyler is gaelic, and means a vaulted church or a stand of trees, a wood - we found this to be a poetic way of thinking about a grove becoming a place of contemplation and stillness, where renewal and rebirth can happen - where, from the seeds of Joy O Designs, Kyler sprouted - a new kind of eco jewelry. When both style and sustainability are made equal priorities, design thrives. That’s what we found when we took the leap from simply maintaining an ethical green workplace, to making sustainable style the core of our business. Kyler by Joy O creates sustainable designer necklaces, earrings, and bracelets with eco-friendly incentives driving material choices, and so, design. Contemporary and evocative, yet subtle and timeless, Kyler is the element that brings environmentally conscious style into everyday life. Within each collection, one might recognize the often overlooked beauty of everyday objects: a solitary moth’s wing, the infinite number of shapes in a single piece of lace, or the simplicity of multiple facets in a hand-cut diamond. Even without the physical presence of these objects, their existence and symmetry in the framework of nature is alluded to in every piece of Kyler jewelry. San Francisco-based jewelry designer Joy Opfer finds inspiration in the ecological alternatives that can help to make fashion a carbon neutral industry. Instead of seeing alternative materials such as recycled stainless steel or reused glass as obstacles, Joy recognizes how those elements possess their own beauty and contribute to the longevity and value of each piece. Joy began designing her heirloom-quality designer jewelry when she couldn’t find exactly what she was looking for. Instead of products manufactured to be trendy and disposable, Joy wanted the simplicity and endurance found in jewelry that's made to be timeless. The result was Kyler by Joy O – original designs hand drawn by Joy, then crafted into contemporary, subtle, evocative jewelry that is the effortless finishing touch to any chic outfit, day or night. Designing her jewelry is an intricate art—while Joy lets the materials guide her, her meticulous workmanship is also architecturally influenced: “Modern architecture is all about minimalism, details and the transition point where materials meet. That’s what my work is about too, on a small and intimate physical scale. When you get into minimal work, clean connections are an integral part of the design.” Kyler by Joy O is seen on celebrities such as Anne Hathaway, Eva Longoria, and Cameron Diaz, and is available at Studio 3579, 499 Dolores Street, San Francisco, CA 94110, online at www.kylerdesigns.com, and at select boutiques nationwide. About the Designer Joy's passion for jewelry-making was sparked in the unlikely surroundings of a high school Geology class, where Mrs. Higginbotham used half of the semester to teach her students how to cut, polish, and set stones, as well as create pieces cast in metal. For Joy, a lifelong hobby was established. A fine arts degree from Penn State further cultivated Joy's creativity, and after receiving her master's degree in graphic communication from San Francisco State University, she rode the dot com rollercoaster as a graphic designer. Her true talents as a jewelry designer continued to shine through however, and friends and family began requesting custom pieces as Joy developed a signature style. After a successful trunk show, she decided to turn her hobby into a full-fledged business, and Joy O Designs as a livelihood was born. In 2006, an online web store was launched, and in 2007, she moved into Studio 3759, a fabulous shared storefront in the Mission District of San Francisco. Now Joy O Designs has evolved into Kyler by Joy O, a company that still incorporates Joy’s eye for style and quality, but also sets high standards for reducing waste, use of energy, and increasing reusability of materials. When creating her unique sustainable designer jewelry, Joy finds inspiration from the materials she uses, from nature, and from the ongoing life of her jewelry. Her pieces have an evocative aesthetic, as Joy allows the small details of objects in life to guide her design. Using recycled stainless steel, black zinc, recycled sterling silver, recycled 14 karat gold fill, and 24 karat gold plating along with recycled artisan glass accents ensures the durability, sustainability, and heirloom quality of all of her pieces. Joy credits the support of her amazing family, friends and co-workers, and the love and influence of her wonderful husband for the continued success of Kyler by Joy O. Environment The San Francisco Bay Area is widely known for its dedication to environmental preservation now, and sustainability for the future. We only select vendors who are conscious of the environmental impact that results from their production. All Kyler designs are made 100% in the US. Our plating vendor uses cyanide-free chemistry and eco-friendly processing. Our designs are accented with partially recycled glass, a virtually infinitely recyclable material, and made by trained artisans in fair trade working conditions. Our primary design components are made from steel, the most recycled material on the planet. More steel is recycled annually than any other material, including aluminum, glass, and paper combined. Greenhouse gas, air, and water emissions resulting from steel manufacturing and recycling are reduced more and more every day, along with the dependence on energy for steel production. All other findings and chains are made from heirloom-quality, hypoallergenic nickel-free 14k gold fill and sterling silver, made using recycled precious metals. Our packaging products are made from reusable and recyclable recycled paper, and shipping boxes are certified cradle-to-cradle. We strive for all aspects of our business to make Kyler a sustainable whole. We do source all materials for Kyler designs from US suppliers, and especially California and the San Francisco Bay Area, to boost the local economy, and where we can feel confident that each factory provides ethical work facilities, fair wages, and manageable hours. The suppliers who provide imported products buy from ethical European and Japanese manufacturers. See our Sustainable Designer Jewelry page to learn more about what Kyler is doing to help preserve the earth’s environment. Giving Back Social responsibility goes further for us than purely environmental impact. The threads that connect us to our community are the lifelines to any endeavor. We give back with full hearts and gratitude for the people doing the hard work to make others' lives a little better. Kyler by Joy O supports charitable causes such as environmental rehabilitation, women's heart health, breast cancer awareness and research, and alleviating hunger in the US. A percentage of all profits is donated to the charities below. They all accept donations online, so if you feel moved to do so, please share our support. Feel good as you do good - every purchase you make from Kyler is helping to make a difference! Global Releaf Global Releaf is an education and action program that helps individuals, organizations, agencies, and corporations improve the local and global environment by planting and caring for trees through the American Forests Organization. You can help by adding to the 25 million trees growing strong. Kyler will plant a tree for every order made on our website with the help of Green Releaf! Learn more about the organization at: http://www.americanforests.org/global_releaf/ WomenHeart : The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease WomenHeart offers a range of support services to help women heart disease survivors live healthier, fuller lives. Heart Health Awareness month is February! To honor this month, Kyler by Joy O will be donating 5% of profits received in february to WomenHeart. Learn more about the organization at: http://www.womenheart.org/ The National Breast Cancer Foundation NBCF is committed to spreading knowledge and fostering hope in the fight against breast cancer by funding free mammograms for women and supporting research programs in leading facilities across the country. In honor of the NBCF Pink Ribbon Challenge, Kyler by Joy O will donate 20% of all profits from pink/rose gold hammered hoops and simple cuffs received during the month of October to help fund free mammograms for women fighting breast cancer. Learn more about the organization at: http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/ SF Food Bank San Francisco Food Bank collects millions of pounds of food from growers, packers, processors, manufacturers, the USDA, and grocery stores and delivers food to over 600 community food programs to help those in need. June 2nd, 2009 is National Hunger Awareness Day. On this day Kyler by Joy O will donate 50% of all profits received to SF Food Bank! We also donate 1% of annual profits to this important cause, so close to home. Learn more about the organization at: http://www.sffoodbank.org/ |