 Miranda Scott of Good Bones Jewelry is no stranger to entrepreneurship, or the curveballs it can throw. From starting off at craft shows as a teenager, to co-owning a brick-and-mortar storefront, moving cities and more, Miranda has handled it all in stride. But throughout all the changes and pivots, one thing has stayed constant - her passion, creativity, and resilience. Miranda has always felt connected to creating and personalizing jewelry, going back to when she was a young teenager. "I think I was maybe twelve or thirteen when I started ripping apart necklaces I owned to rearrange [them] or add beads," she said with a smile. "I remember using tiny locks, keys, and hardware to make big, clunky punk necklaces I'd wear to high school as a protest against uniforms we had to wear." For Miranda, jewelry is all about conveying your personality - just like how clothing can be created, styled, and altered to express your individuality and interests. "Jewelry draws me in, it lets me be artistic in a very physical way," Miranda explained. "It keeps my mind sharp because there's always new techniques to learn and try out." Before moving to St. Thomas, Miranda called Kingston, ON home. That was where she attended her first craft show, the Women's Art Festival (which has been running for an incredible 43 years), started her first business, and learned many valuable lessons that have shaped her outlook on entrepreneurship today. "I co-owned a brick-and-mortar jewelry store called Alchemy House with another goldsmith which closed in 2018 when I moved to London," Miranda explained. "We both went in as absolute beginners flying by the seats of our pants, and had zero business training." Together, Miranda and her business partner faced numerous challenges that are no stranger to many small business owners. "We had so many curveballs thrown at us. From months long road construction, a move when our first landlord renovicted us, and my then-business partner's cancer diagnosis," Miranda recalled. "I came out [of that time] feeling really prepared to handle big shifts and the need to pivot at a moment's notice." In addition to these hurdles, Miranda experienced an accident which resulted in a disability. She took a long hiatus from jewelry making during her recovery, but throughout it all her passion and creativity around jewelry remained unchanged. In 2018 she moved to nearby London, ON, for an ex-partner, before moving to St. Thomas in 2021, purchasing a house, and setting up her jewelry workshop. Miranda has now been designing and crafting jewelry as a professional goldsmith for over fifteen years. Female and disability owned, her business Good Bones Jewelry is a bespoke fine jewelry studio and workshop based right here in St. Thomas, where Miranda designs, creates, and repairs pieces, while also running and teaching jewelry making workshops. She attends the Horton Farmers' Market here in St. Thomas on select dates, as well as The Market at the Western Fair District in London, ON. Miranda's advice to other local producer-based businesses? Check to see if you can attend your local farmers' markets. "If you do any kind of custom work at all, farmers' markets are fantastic, primarily for advertising first and sales second," she said. "The best way to turn someone into a customer is to let them see and touch your work, and to get to know you as a person." Through her years of market experience, Miranda also advises that businesses should make sure their displays are eye-catching and inviting. "If you're already doing markets, make sure you have your work on different levels [of elevation]. Never leave everything on a table - you want to catch people's attention. Anything below eye level on your average folding table isn't going to accomplish that." Miranda works primarily in sterling silver and gold, which is recycled from within the jewelry industry, but she is starting to branch into bronze and gold fill now that sterling silver and gold have become so expensive. "I really want to keep my pricing as accessible as possible," she explained. "I'm also able to re-use gold from family heirloom jewelry to make something new, though that method isn't always cheaper because it's very labour intensive." She is also always happy to chat about custom works, as long as they stay within her scope as an artist. The best way to reach Miranda is through her Instagram (@goodbonesjewelry) or her website, where you can also find her upcoming market dates and locations, as well as her Etsy online storefront. Through her educational with the George Brown College Jewellery Arts program, she learned technical drawing, how to do repairs, set gemstones, alloy specific karats of gold, and every other aspect of the industry. "[Goldsmithing] is a trade as much as it is an art," she said. Most of her work is hand fabricated, meaning she uses hand tools like hammers, pliers, a torch, and more to physically bend, shape, and manipulate her materials. Alongside creating and repairing jewelry pieces, Miranda also runs jewelry making workshops, with the greater majority taking place in her private studio here in St. Thomas, ON. "My most popular workshop by far is the wedding band workshop," she said. "I teach couples to make a set of gold wedding bands from start to finish in a private setting. It costs $400 for the workshop for two people, plus the cost of materials, which can vary quite a lot depending on specs participants choose, like ring width and gold karat." Good Bones Jewelry also offers an earring workshop, where students can learn a variety of techniques to create dangle and hoop style earrings with sterling silver. In addition to her professional goldsmith work, Miranda is also an avid rock climber, and has competed on the Canadian national Para climbing team for multiple years. After going to her first World Cup with Team Canada, Miranda started a small non-profit called Rise Above Adaptive Climbing for rock climbers with disabilities. "Being surrounded by a community of people that I could relate to was a powerful and validating experience," she said. "I wanted to have that back at home, but it wasn't something that existed at the time, so I decided it was up to me to create it." Her love for climbing is reflected in some of her designs and pieces, from her double figure 8 knot necklaces to geometric stone shapes and mountain range designs. As a disabled entrepreneur, Miranda has learned that navigating business ownership can be difficult. "Anyone relying on some kind of disability benefit, be it federal or provincial, is going to face massive hurdles if they want to start a business," she explained. "Any kind of income the government deems as beneficial employment can get your benefits cancelled, even if you're barely making enough to pay your day-by-day expenses, let alone trying to cover your costs in your start-up phase." Miranda's best advice? Get paid in cash. St. Thomas and Elgin County are home to so many incredible small businesses, each with their own stories, challenges, and triumphs. Entrepreneurs like Miranda bring invaluable knowledge, creativity, and passion to our communities, despite the challenges they face. Now more than ever it is so important to show up to these businesses, write them a supportive review, share their profiles and posts on social media, and if you can, spend some cash on their handmade products. It isn't just another sale or transaction - it's a powerful act that keeps money in our communities, keeps our businesses open, and keeps our Canadian economy going strong. If you go
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