Not Your Average Necklace – Ten Thousand Villages | #FashionForGood Friday

Even WAY before I was first beginning my “journey” (if that’s what you want to call it) into the ethical / fair trade / do-good-brand world, I knew and loved Ten Thousand Villages. Ten Thousand Villages is like, the ORIGINAL fair-trade organization empowering artisans all over the world. They directly impact 20,000 makers in 30 developing countries!! They were founded in 1946 – which is obviously WAY before “fair trade” was even considered a buzzword.

ANYWAY. I have loved them for such a long time and they’ve long been my “go-to” store when I’ve been looking for ethical items and unique gifts.

When we were first designing Lilly’s Africa-themed nursery before she was born, I went to Ten Thousand Villages to find unique trinkets and decor that I knew I wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else. I LOVE this store.

In addition to having beautiful decor, hand crafted kitchen goods, gifts, accessories, etc. they also carry some of the most beautiful and unique jewelry! And I love that they focus on partnerships that really elevate their artisans and allow their artisans to showcase unique skills.

They recently launched a collection called the Brass Bombshell Jewelry collection handcrafted in Cambodia. Every piece is entirely repurposed brass originally used as bombs and bullets and it is made into wearable symbols of peace, hope and strength.

How amazing is that? Taking something that was meant for harm and redeeming it for opportunity, empowerment, and hope.

You see, after decades of war in Cambodia, there are fields that are literally LITTERED with brass from shell casings from bombs and bullets. These casings serve as a constant reminder for the people there of the devastation and hurt they experienced. The partner artisan group, Rajana Association of Cambodia, that Ten Thousand Villages is working with, decided to take these casings and do something with them for good. 

Here is a powerful video that shares a little more about the background and their story:

Here are a couple other pieces from the Brass Bombshell collection that I love:

I got the Setting Sun necklace and I absolutely love it. It’s such a classic piece that goes with anything, but is unique enough that I get compliments on it every time I wear it. I also love that it’s the perfect length for layering other necklaces along with it. I seriously wear this necklace all. the. time.

Another thing I love about the maker-centered business model that Ten Thousand Villages takes is how they really focus on not only fair wages and good working conditions for their workers / makers, but also really focusing on creating a sustainable, long-term opportunity that’s going to ultimately change an entire community.

This is truly the type of partnership that I love to see… I love seeing something that was meant for harm, used for good. I love seeing lives changed. Families being able to stay together. Food on the table. These are game-changing things for a lot of people and while it might not seem much, your purchases DO matter.

Supporting companies like Ten Thousand Villages really does make a difference.

What about you? Have you heard of Ten Thousand Villages? What is your favorite piece in the Brass Bombshell collection?

Full Outfit Details:

Setting Sun Necklace: Ten Thousand Villages c/o | Dress: Agnes & Dora Feather Earhart Dress | Booties: Shopbop | Bag: The Flourish Market (Use code “STILLBEINGMOLLY” for free shipping) | Earrings: Nickel and Suede c/o

*Ten Thousand Villages sent me the Setting Sun necklace to style and partnered with me for this post. I truly love this company and, as always, all content and opinions are 100% my own.