Ethics & Sourcing

The collection of bones and taxidermy have risen in popularity within the last few years. Which is great, however it also comes with its major downsides. Unfortunately a lot of sellers don't care about the welfare of animals and will sell cheap or bulk items that aren't sourced well. A lot of sellers will also claim that what they're selling is "ethically sourced" when in reality it isn't. 

I want to state that I will NEVER harm an animal for the purpose of my art. I will also never buy from unethical wholesalers, fur farms, hunters etc.

Everyone has their different opinions about "what is ethical" so I want to be completely transparent about how I source my materials so you can decide if my ethics align with yours, rather than me deciding for you.

 

BONES 

I source all my bones & teeth from scavenging in the Uk wildlife or from roadkill. I try to find most of these bones myself, however, I also receive them from friends, family or a select few small sellers that find them the same way. Ocassionly I will also source bones and skulls second hand if I find them at flee markets or antique fairs. 

 I regularly post videos about finding and cleaning bones, so if you're more of a visual person, feel free to head to my instagram or TikTok to see for yourself!

 

TEETH

All animal teeth I use in my work have been found the exact same way as above. However, occasionally I will use human teeth in my work too! These are very hard to find so it can be alarming for someone when they see human teeth set in jewellery. 

I source these only from friends and family that gift me their extracted teeth or from ex dentist collections that can be found at flee markets, antique fairs or auctions. If you didn't know, sometimes dentists will keep extracted teeth for research or for educational purposes!

Please note that I will never buy or sell human bones as it's never guaranteed how they're sourced.

 

 

 BUTTERFLYS & MOTHS  

I source all my butterfly and moth wings from one certified Uk seller. The wings don't always look perfect but this is simply due to them living a full life before passing a natural death.

I will never buy butterflies or insects from farms where they are bred to be killed. 

If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to message me over on Instagram or Facebook! @Melancholy.silver