FAQs About Butterfly Farms and Our Mission
What is the TLSeed Process™? The TLSeed Process™ is our patent-pending preservation technique that focuses on quality, durability, color preservation, and protection. It showcases the natural beauty of our organics without causing any harm to the specimens. All mediums used in this process are non-toxic.
Do you breed the butterflies used in your designs? No, we do not breed or harvest any butterflies. Instead, we purchase already deceased butterfly specimens from lepidopterists, who obtain proper licensing for fair trade and ethical sourcing from various international butterfly aviaries.
How can you be assured this is ethical? We have conducted extensive research to ensure kindness in our practices and only support certified suppliers. We work closely with CRES (Costa Rica Entomology Supply), which describes supported practices in a fascinating, yet intelligent business model that balances opportunity, sustainability, and protection for the breeders, butterflies, and their natural habitat. Additionally, we are collaborating with a professor of Entomology to create and research a study that provides conservation status for our select butterflies to further assure ethical practices.
Do the butterflies at these certified aviaries live there forever? Many of the butterflies raised in these aviaries are released into the wild. Those that complete their life cycle within the aviaries become available for purchase and preservation, and proceeds fund the development of additional aviaries. Hillary Jackson jewelry is proud to support this effort and preserve the butterflies’ beauty within our elegant designs.
What is "butterfly farming"? Butterfly farming has become pertinent to a sustainable rainforest economy. Local communities benefit financially from farming pupae and nurturing their natural growth into beautiful butterflies. This has become a positive and economical alternative to unsustainable practices such as logging and charcoal production, which lead to rainforest deforestation and the breakdown of integral ecosystems, including those of several species of butterflies!
Where is butterfly farming done? We source our butterflies from sustainable farms of local communities in Costa Rica, Kenya, and El Salvador.
Is butterfly farming ethical? Farming of butterflies empowers communities to preserve nature, generate income for rural communities, and provides an alternative for sustainable development. Many farms return 10-20% of the butterflies they breed back into the wild to promote conservation and population growth. Furthermore, the practice of butterfly farming protects and preserves the natural habitats of many species, including thousands of butterflies, thereby supporting their renewal and natural proliferation.
I've noticed various colors and sizes of Earwings, how many species butterflies are there? There are over 17,000 butterfly species in the world! However, we don't feature each species. We are intentional and research the specimens available to assure sustainable practices and kindness in sourcing. Each pair of 'Earwings' discloses their proper Latin name as well as their home origin, 'Native to.'
From where do you source the gorgeous botanicals? The botanicals are annual or perennials from our personal gardens! We are fortunate to have ideal conditions to produce an array of delightful botanicals in Georgia and Connecticut.
Is your jewelry hypoallergenic? We do our best to ensure all of our materials are without allergens and all agents used in our TLSeed Process™ are non-toxic as well. To the best of our abilities and knowledge, all products are allergen free, as dermatologically verified. If you have specific questions regarding personal sensitivities, we are happy to chat with you!
Are you really all about kindness? You bet! At Hillary Jackson Designs, we believe in positivity, kindness, and love. We do our best to lead with kindness in all circumstances and believe our business practices behind the scenes should reflect our values up front.
Sparkle on.
