Beth Millner Jewelry

Eco Friendly Designer Makes Gifts That Matter

Beth Millner smiles through one of her jewelry designs in her downtown Marquette, MI shop. (photo by Ron Caspi)

Marquette Michigan – Jewelry can be made in a sustainable way, a business can be run with minimal waste, a small store can provide jobs to local artists, and customers are able to find jewelry of recycled metals and local stones. Beth Millner is proving this every day in her thriving local jewelry business in downtown Marquette, MI.

Beth Millner Jewelry contributes greatly to downtown by having a quality product that represents the absolute perfect serenity that we live in. What Beth and her jewelry signify are far more than just nature or the love of nature; it encompasses the longevity of it by prioritizing around creating the art in a resourceful way to reflect the true respect of nature. And, not a surprise, Beth’s motivation behind designing the pieces is simply a reflection of her love for this place.

Beth is a person that believes in living life in a down to earth way. She and her partner are small farm owners and even used to participate in selling goods at the local farmer’s market and offering goat milk shares. Beth serves on three boards throughout Marquette that are focused on bettering the community. She enjoys riding her bike to work when she can, shopping locally and organically and treating her business in the same way: sustainable.

It starts with the little things like using natural cleaners in the store on the glass cases and on the metal jewelry, recycling any waste and using rags in place of non-reusable paper towels. She also finds used furniture and displays for her store and most impressively uses recycled metals in the majority of all of her jewelry. Using metals that are already on the surface allow her to do what she loves without having to worry about the direct environmental impacts of mining. There is plenty of recycled metal available here above the surface that allows rebirth for metals that have been discarded.

Beth also finds it important to spend less money on advertisement and more on donating proceeds to things like Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and even middle school student’s fieldtrips. She believes that contributing pieces and proceeds to silent auctions for these fund raisers is a great way to give back and to keep money in the community.

The majority of the jewelry that you will find at Beth Millner Jewelry represents different seasons of the beautiful nature you will find here in our area. The cyclical procession of our Lake Superior, and the different tree scenes remind us of the many beautiful seasons we bare here. The winters are long and by the time they are over we are all flourishing in the thoughts of spring. We are rejuvenated each spring just as the lake and the trees are.Beth loves to pay attention to the changing seasons and find creative opportunities within them, she has made designs reflecting the Sandhill Crane migration and one of her most popular designs is the honey bee.

The honey bee represents all things that are possible, all of the flowers that bloom and all of the food that is grown, bees are hard workers and people that keep bees in the area are able to enjoy watching their marvelous role in the ecosystem. Bee keepers pride themselves on this hobby and having jewelry to symbolize this special relationship is what Beth has brought to them.

But the trees and their many representations are what Beth is truly inspired by. The tree is something that people all over the world in any city or country recognize as a universal symbol for life. And while we all have our own definition to what a tree means to us, we are all drawn to their strength and their beauty.

Beth Millner has been creating jewelry since college and her business is celebrating its eight year anniversary this month. Stop in and see what Beth and her talented employees are up to!

“I am happy to provide unique, easy to wear, eco friendly jewelry for people who want gifts that matter.”- Beth Millner

Find Beth Millner Jewelry on Facebook, at www.bethmillnerjewelry.com or right downtown at 521 W Washington.

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by Candace Prill

Being raised in a small Michigan town has taught me many things; being one with nature, eating whole foods and living in a sustainable way are just a few. My family and I currently reside in Marquette, where we can grow a garden downtown, bike anywhere in the city and enjoy endless nature just outside of the city limits. In the past several years I have been lucky to be a part of researching, writing and teaching about whole living. You can find my monthly nutrition column “Healthier Living” in the Great Lakes Pilot that I have been writing for the past two years. You can also find my published geological research in “Agates: Inside Out” by Karen Brzys. My passion is to live and, teach to live, in a sustainable way, both nutritionally and environmentally. I look forward to sharing my articles on sustainable living here at Marquette Magazine.

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