I get asked why a jewelry studio gives away a quarter of what it makes. The honest answer is that I didn't set out to build a giving-back program. I set out to make something for my own dogs, and then couldn't find a good reason to stop there.
This is the story behind Crystals & Paws — what the pieces are actually for, where the money goes, and why it's a specific number to a specific rescue instead of a vague promise on a label.
It started with rescues of my own
Boo came from Misty Creek Rescue. Willow came from CB Rescue. Neither of them arrived finished.
That's the part people don't always see. A rescue animal doesn't walk through the door grateful and settled. They walk in watchful. They sleep on the edge of the bed in case they need to move fast. They flinch at things you'd never think to warn them about.
And then, slowly, they stop.
Watching that happen twice, in my own house, changed what I wanted this studio to be for.
Why the collars carry an intention
Here's the thinking behind the pieces themselves.
Crystal work is about intention — choosing the energy you want to hold, and what you'd like to help release. When I build a set, I start from the energy the animal needs most: protection, rest, love, loyalty, grounding, safety. Then I choose the stones that carry it, and I make a matching piece for the human end of the leash so you're both holding the same intention.
A collar strung with genuine rose quartz sits against your dog's chest all day. That's the point. Not a decoration you remember on special occasions — an intention worn close to the body, every day, by the animal who needs it.
I want to be careful about what I'm claiming here, because it matters to me. These are not medical devices. A stone will not treat a condition or replace a vet. What it will do is carry an intention you set on purpose, worn by an animal who is already reading every signal you give off. Your dog knows what you're feeling. They've always known. This just makes it deliberate.
Why Boxer Rescue Canada
The rescue we support came to the collection through my friend Shannon.
Shannon helps me run this business — she writes for the blog, she's beside me at every show, and she is deeply, unapologetically a boxer person. Her dog Roxy is the one who taught both of us what rescue energy looks like up close: the slow softening, the trust that builds in inches, the way an animal who once braced for the worst eventually learns to nap in a sunbeam.
Roxy is the reason the boxers got chosen. Watching Shannon with her made the decision easy.
Where the 25% goes
Twenty-five percent of every Crystals & Paws sale goes to Boxer Rescue Canada.
Not "a portion of proceeds." Not "supports rescue causes." A specific quarter of every order, going to a specific organization that pulls specific dogs out of specific shelters.
Here's how it works, plainly:
- The 25% is calculated on the product price — not after discounts, not including shipping.
- Donations are tracked monthly and sent on a regular schedule.
- If you want to see the tracking, ask me. I'll share what I have.
Boxer Rescue Canada is run by volunteers doing the hardest, least glamorous work in rescue: pulling boxers from shelters before time runs out, fostering them in real homes while they decompress, and matching them with families who will see them all the way through. They run on donations. Every dollar matters.
If you'd rather support them directly and skip the jewelry entirely, that's a completely reasonable thing to do — their site takes donations. But if you were going to buy something anyway, this is a way to make it count twice.
What's actually in the collection
Six matching sets, each built around one energy — protection, rest, love, loyalty, grounding, safety. Two handmade gemstone collars strung with genuine stones, no plastic filler. And a necklace for the human end of the leash.
Every stone is real. Every piece is made here in Calgary. Nothing is mislabelled.
I've written the full breakdown of the sets, the collars, and how to choose between them in a separate guide — the matching sets guide covers all of it in detail.
If you run a rescue, read this part
The thing I'd most like to do more of is work directly with rescue organizations.
If you're running a rescue, a shelter, or a fundraiser and you want a custom piece — something specific to your organization, your event, or a particular animal — I'd genuinely like to hear from you. I've done one-off collaborations before and they're some of my favourite work.
What that can look like:
- A custom design made for your organization, with the proceeds structured however makes sense for you
- A limited run for a specific fundraiser or adoption event
- A memorial piece for a donor, a volunteer, or an animal your community is grieving
I'm one person making these by hand, so I can't say yes to everything. But I can usually find a way to say yes to something.
Email me at andrea@mysticsouljewelry.com and tell me what you're working on.
Why I keep doing it this way
Giving-back marketing has a bad reputation, and it earned it. Vague percentages. Unnamed charities. Numbers that turn out to be calculated on profit after everything else is deducted, which usually means almost nothing.
So I made it boring and specific on purpose. One rescue. One number. Calculated on the price you actually paid.
You should be able to check my work. That's the whole point.
Boo and Willow have no idea they're the reason any of this exists. Roxy has no idea she picked the rescue. That feels about right.
Want to know when new rescue pieces come out of the studio?
The Moon Circle is free, gets you 15% off your first piece, and sends a note when something new lands — including the Crystals & Paws sets, which are made in small runs and go quickly.
Handmade in Calgary, Alberta — an independent Canadian business for over 18 years.
Keep reading: The Matching Sets Guide → | Crystals & Pets → | Follow along on Instagram →
