A less time-consuming and straight-to-your-doorstep version of thrifting does exist. Etsy is an online marketplace that connects the world’s sellers of homemade and curated goods to those who enjoy supporting small businesses and owning one-of-a-kind pieces. 

This week’s top Etsy shops are focused on polymer clay earrings. The lightweight clay makes for comfortable earrings that add a conversational touch to your wardrobe:

For the lover of nature and sustainability – Stella Joie Designs

Owner LaJoie Lex started Stella Joie Designs in July 2020. As a doctoral candidate in English Literature at Baylor University, Lex needed a hobby to get herself through the hot Texas summers. Having worked with clay as a teenager, Lex began the creative process of making polymer clay earrings. 

“It’s how I unwind,” she said in an interview with The Carroll News.

Recognizing the abundance within her own jewelry collection, she decided to “share the wealth” by selling her pieces online. 

Lex spends a lot of time outside and credits nature for her inspiration. “The shape of a leaf or hue of a flower petal might give me ideas for a new design,” she told The Carroll News. 

While her Etsy shop is temporarily closed due to COVID-19, her website, stellajoie.com, offers unique pieces like the Himalayan Salt Collection — an assortment of apricot-toned earrings that contain gold leaf flecks to accentuate Lex’s muse of nature. 

For the eclectic artist in us all – AJ Modernist

Aimee Jones, a Missouri-based hair stylist, started the Etsy shop AJ Modernist in July 2019. The self-proclaimed eclectic artist creates earrings with influences from the “colors of the world,” as she told The Carroll News.

“From bustling cities to the fall foliage, [the colors are] so breathtaking you can’t help but want to mimic it.” 

AJ Modernist’s pieces are nickel-free and lightweight for those with sensitivities. The architectural-inspired earrings bring life to any outfit with bold colors and geometric shapes. 

For the bold risk-takers – Plum Poppy

Abbi Williams started Plum Poppy in November 2019. Before selling on Etsy, Williams made the clay earrings for her friends and family. 

“I love being creative and working with my hands and felt a desire to do something that allowed that,” she said. 

The handmade earrings come in bold, funky patterns, like the Flamingo floral earrings, which is a tastefully flashy array of pinks and floral shapes. 

For the bohemian beauties – Pepper and Pink Co

From the dangly Phases of the Moon to the rainbow assortment of muted-colored hoops, Pepper and Pink Co offers a wide variety of statement earrings. The intricacies of each piece show owner Emily Moreno-Riano’s attention to detail and dedication to sticking to her brand.

Moreno-Riano explained the process of carefully choosing her brand’s bohemian and down-to-earth vibe. She admitted it is difficult to avoid the temptation of stepping outside her aesthetic, but she recognizes the importance of having a “defined voice”

The artist originally opened her Etsy shop in 2018, titling the shop after her namesake, Emily Mowry Art. The shop was renamed Pepper and Pink Co in July 2020. 

Moreno-Riano graduated with an English degree from Regent University in May 2020. She became a book editor and quickly realized her passion for jewelry making was more prominent. With nearly 2,000 sales on Etsy, the success of Pepper and Pink Co has allowed Moreno-Riano to quit her job and take up selling her art full time.

If you love making a statement in your daily style with the subtle touch of jewelry, then some of these polymer clay earring Etsy shops may be for you. From the down-to-earth bohemian to the alternative individual, you can find a pair of earrings that suit your aesthetic, no matter what that may be.