Adorn Yourself With Purpose: PURPOSE Jewelry Is The By-Women For-Women Brand That’s Empowering Artisans Around The World
Jewelry That Changes Lives
Women everywhere are deserving of celebration, empowerment, and adornment. PURPOSE Jewelry is a social enterprise dedicated to doing these things and more through their dedication to the holistic reintegration of survivors of sex trafficking.
With the support of International Sanctuary, the nonprofit that founded PURPOSE, this jewelry brand is creating sanctuary centers around the world that offer fair-wage employment, healthcare, counseling, and education that helps women flourish.
The survivors they work with are skilled artisans who create stunning pieces for women around the world—making this a by-women-for-women enterprise. We love their delicate, modern pieces and the fact that each piece is accompanied by the signature of the woman who made it makes this jewelry truly meaningful.
handcrafted
packaged
inventoried
shipped
& hand-signed
BY SURVIVORS
Behind The Scenes With Wendy Dailey, Co-Founder And President Of PURPOSE Jewelry
Economic empowerment is near and dear to our hearts at The Good Trade, and we’re excited and inspired by the work that PURPOSE is doing to affect global change. We recently had the opportunity to chat with Wendy Daily, the co-founder and president of PURPOSE Jewelry, to learn more about her vision for the impact of the company, what she sees as the missing piece of fighting against human trafficking, and what piece of PURPOSE Jewelry is her very favorite.
The mission of International Sanctuary is to empower women and girls escaping human trafficking to embrace their true identity and worth.
Tell us about the mission of International Sanctuary! How does Purpose Jewelry support women who have overcome human trafficking?
The mission of International Sanctuary is to empower women and girls escaping human trafficking to embrace their true identity and worth. As a social enterprise, PURPOSE Jewelry provides the healing workplace community where participants can learn transferrable job skills, earn a stable income, and start building trust in positive relationships.
It’s within these jobs that life transformations take place—girls and women can learn from each other, regain their dignity, and obtain financial freedom to rebuild their lives. Our model is simple in that the more jewelry that is sold, the more employment opportunities we can provide and the more lives can be changed.
What was the initial inspiration to create a social enterprise that provided meaningful work for women?
When we started in 2007, it was clear that unless girls and young women escaping trafficking had economic opportunities that allowed them to provide for themselves and obtain financial independence, they would continue to be vulnerable to trafficking. It was out of this need that our model was developed: vocational training and employment paired with long-term, holistic personal care.
Economic empowerment continues to be the missing piece in the global approach to solving the human trafficking crisis, which is why we are dedicated to our vision of 10 sanctuaries around the world by 2020. Rescue and residential partners invite International Sanctuary to collaborate alongside their efforts and provide employment to survivors. Non-profit collaboration in the anti-human trafficking space is the linchpin to ending this exploitation once and for all. It’s a powerful model that has proven effective for a decade and we couldn’t be more excited about it.
We adore Purpose Jewelry’s timeless designs and stunning pieces. What informs the creative direction behind Purpose’s Signature line—and the new Premier line?
We believe in a strong product because that is what will ultimately grow our brand and allow us to reach more survivors. We want our supporters to be presented with beautiful designs that reflect the strength, integrity, and hope within our Sanctuaries. Our jewelry designer is an industry expert with 20 years of experience; she has designed for brands like Barbie, Harley Davidson, and Neiman Marcus. Each collection is influenced by trend reports, customer demand, and, naturally, the artisans themselves!
Our new Premier Line is one our supporters have been asking for and we are thrilled to offer these gorgeous pieces plated in either 14 karat gold or rhodium, a rare precious metal more brilliant than sterling silver! Hypoallergenic and tarnish-resistant, the Premier Line will bring our mission to new shoppers around the world.
Do you personally have a favorite Purpose piece you cannot live without?
I LOVE the Vista Earrings. They are very unique, I always receive compliments when I wear them. They are super lightweight, so you don’t even know they’re on. And of course they’re made by some of my favorite girls on the planet!