Two shiny gold rings from Bittersweets NY, with skeletons with diamonds for eyes are stacked on top of another on a white countertop with a blue background.

    Change Maker of the Month: 💎 Bittersweets NY 💎

    All photos are credited to and owned by Bittersweets NY.

    1.16.25

    Established in 2002 by a girl who used to work at a foundry (how freaking cool is that?), Bittersweets NY was born from a desire to turn everyday, mundane objects into the exquisite. 

    Their first collection, Bloodlust Princess, featured a matching necklace, belt buckle, tiara, and mini ashtray. Their inspiration? A set of dollar store vampire teeth available once a year for Halloween.

    Inspiration for Bittersweets NY designs also springs forth from nature, and our intrinsic link to the cycle of life and death. We see this connection to nature in their delicate Lifted Light Twig Ring, and their Skeleton Memento Mori band serves as a reminder that love and death are eternal.

    Every Bittersweets NY order comes packed with their essential oil-infused mini tote or spa bags, featuring original screen-printed designs made exclusively by local artists for Bittersweets NY!


    We've had the pleasure of supplying Bittersweets NY with these adorable bags since 2017. People have said they love using them as their lunch or day trip bags.

    Read on for our exclusive interview with Bittersweets NY!

    ECOBAGS:
    You’ve been crafting fine jewelry through your company, Bittersweets NY, since 2002. What’s one thing you wish you’d have known when you first started that you know now? 



    Bittersweets NY: 
    I wish I magically knew what 20+ years of technical experience can teach you.


    ECOBAGS:
    We love that you use ethically sourced diamonds for your jewelry, and of course that you use our bags for your orders! Do you employ any other sustainability initiatives at Bittersweets NY? 



    Bittersweets NY:

    We scent our Ecobags with essential oils, and it's one of the most commonly asked questions from our customers.

    It's a blend of geranium, lemon, & sometimes peppermint, or lavender. The totes are perfect for it!



    ECOBAGS:
    What led you to try your hand at creating wearable miniature sculptures, and what pushed you to make a business out of it?



    A close up shot of a gold Baby Vamp necklace with a snake and crystal printed tote in the foreground

    Bittersweets NY: 
    I worked at an art foundry for many years and I started out making sculptures. I loved the process of casting. Making a business out of it was, and still is, a lot of work, but it's also so much fun. 


    ECOBAGS:
    We’ve had the pleasure of supplying you with our bags for the past 8 years! How did you first find out about us, and what inspired you to use custom bags to compliment your packaging? 


    Bittersweets NY: 
    I did an old-fashioned internet search!
     
    Initially, I wanted to keep packaging minimal, and the totes make an efficient & protective packing material for the jewelry boxes so you don't have to add packing peanuts or extra tissue.


    ECOBAGS: 
    What’s your favorite part of your process when you’re creating a new piece of jewelry? 



    Bittersweets NY: 
    The favorite part is the easiest part, where you're just dreaming up ideas and making little sketches. There are a few other Bsweets here, and we are always trying to make each other laugh with silly ideas on the next charm. 
     
    On the other side of the creative process, getting the nicest feedback from customers about how a charm was purchased to honor a loved one who just passed, is beyond heart-warming. I just received an email like that a few weeks ago, and I shared that the pencil charm was made for my father.
     
    He was a uniquely kind, and creative person. He shaved a pencil all the way down to the nub, at the machine shop where he worked. He was already known as the very eccentric guy at the shop... but the look on his manager's face when he took that tiny pencil out of his shirt pocket... He had a quiet sense of humor easily missed if you weren't paying attention; Such a sweet soul.
     
    The last few years of his life, I would put a camera on my jewelry desk so he could hang out with me while I was working, as he was bedridden. He loved to ask me what all of the little tools, and tool holders were... 
    A small nub of a pencil, belonging to the founder's father A black and white photo of the founder's father

    ECOBAGS: 
    That is so, so sweet. Thank you so much for sharing that with us. 
     
    For our last question, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner!

    What are your favorite recommendations from your collections for giving your sweetie (or bestie, or yourself) a token of affection?


    Bittersweets NY: 
    We have so many things with hearts on them!
     
    My favorite is the Paper Heart Necklace. We also have so many cute charms like the LightMyFire, or the MixTape which could be sweet tokens of affection for a friend, or sweetheart. 


    💚 Learn more about our friends at Bittersweets NY

    read this next