Meet our New Partner -- YEWO
We are excited to introduce our new partnership with YEWO. YEWO is a young brand, only a year old! This impressive jewelry design takes place in land-locked Malawi. Many communities in Malawi depend solely on subsistence farming to get by every year. Lack of opportunity has created an inevitable and ever-turning cycle of poverty in the community. Residents are unable to make and sustain the long term investments needed to break the cycle, such as education, entrepreneurship, and even minor technological advances.
YEWO was founded on the singular idea of "breaking the poverty cycle in this community". Through training, design, and craftsmanship, they provide reliable employment to create social impact. Within their program, they train local leaders in management, metal-smithing, jewelry-making, and small business skills.
YEWO creates unity within the community by using all regionally sourced materials! They use recycled regional brass and teakwood to create all of their products. Deforestation is a huge environmental threat to Malawi so YEWO utilizes no live trees, only fallen branches and offcuts. They also have a tree-nursery project and have planted over 200 seedlings up to date!
Taking Care of Brass
As beautiful as this alloy may be, we all know that brass can tend to tarnish over time. That is why we have done some experimenting to properly care for and restore your beautiful brass pieces! There are many common household items that can repel and eliminate tarnish. But remember to assure your piece is 100% brass before attempting any of the following techniques.
Ketchup isn't only for your palette! We found that the mild acidity found in ketchup can make it an incredible tool for shining brass. Use your fingers to rub the sauce gently over your 100% brass item, once it is completely covered let the jewelry set for a minute. Rinse off all the sauce. If the piece is not yet up to your standard of shine, repeat until desired cleanliness is achieved! Once it is achieved, rinse and dry well.
A salted lemon is also ideal to achieve a beautiful shine. Sprinkle some salt on the open side of a lemon half (not skin) and rub it over the brass. Once this is completed wash and dry the brass thoroughly.
Luckily, YEWO adds an anti-tarnish to all earrings and necklaces to preserve the look for as long as possible. However, it is always essential to store brass in a cotton bag away from heat and moisture. Do not store jewelry in your bathroom and also avoid contact with lotions and perfumes!
