In addition to highlighting ethical brands, a central goal of this blog is to feature local artisans who create beautiful clothing and accessories. Too often, artisans themselves are obscured in the production of fashion, and consumers have no idea whose hand crafted the items they wear. I would like to change that. In my travels to Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, I fell in love with several sets of earrings, and I want you to meet the people who crafted them by hand.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

I found these earrings on the cart of a local jeweler, Emina Beganovic, who sells her work outside of the Dominican Monastery right at the base of the city walls. She has a beautiful selection of handmade jewelry with most stones sourced directly from Croatia. If you ever find yourself in Dubrovnik and you love local jewelry, don’t miss her cart.

Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina

As I mentioned in my last post, we took a day trip to Mostar to see the exact point where the West and East converge below the steeples of Christian churches and the minarets of Islamic Mosques. Unlike Dubrovnik, Mostar is still recovering from the war of 1991. The bridge shown below, which connects the worlds of Christianity and Islam, was destroyed during the war, but since then it has been rebuilt as a sign of hope and prosperity for the city.

In a bazaar in Mostar, I came across a coppersmith who hammered earrings beneath the awning of his shop. I fell in love with a set of his earrings that were fresh off his anvil.

Outside of Mostar are the Kravica waterfalls, one of the most gorgeous bodies of water I have ever seen. You simply cannot miss them if your travels bring you to this region.