Something for Everyone
Headquartered in Hollywood, CA, Dunitz & Company is a leading designer and manufacturer of handcrafted seed bead jewelry, pouches and hair accessories in a host of colors and styles. Appealing to a variety of design tastes, Dunitz & Company's expansive line features a wide range of styles that span from Victorian to ethnic and casually elegant to sophisticated. Other designs are tailored for new age, children and teen-oriented stores.
Of special note, each piece of beadwork is handcrafted in Guatemala by talented Mayan Indian women and primarily made from Czechoslovakian and Japanese glass beads. Other components of our designs include Austrian crystals, vintage buttons, tagua slices, glass pearls and semi-precious stones.
Company Founder, Nancy Dunitz
Dunitz & Company Founder/Owner Nancy Dunitz first formed Dunitz & Company to follow a lifelong dream -- to design jewelry and beautiful things for the home made in the third world countries she liked to visit.
"I started with Guatemala because it was only six versus 36 hours away," laughs Nancy. "And, I felt it was important to learn the intricacies of product distribution before venturing into the Asian market. But once I spent time in Guatemala - building my product line and meeting the friends and designers I now consider my 'second family'- I found I didn't need or want to go anywhere else."
While working with some Guatemalan craftspeople on giftware and home accent designs during the developmental stages of her company, Nancy soon met one of the designers she still works with today. "She made all types of beadwork and I always loved what she was creating," she adds. Nancy teamed up with her to sketch and design jewelry that has since become an integral part of her current collection.
Now as then, Nancy creates jewelry designs, chooses colors that respond to today's trends, and works closely with her Guatemala-based design team to create all the styles and color schemes that comprise her growing fashion accessory collection.
Fair Trade & Other Facts
- The Mayan women can spend anywhere from an hour to nearly two days to complete the meticulous beadwork that goes into each, individual piece of jewelry. For example, some Dunitz & Company bracelets will take a few hours to complete while an elaborate necklace can take more than two days to create.
- The beaders earn fair wages, are treated with respect and work in a safe and clean environment. In addition, women with children to care for can work in their homes.
- Dunitz & Company supports and contributes to "Pueblo a Pueblo", a community based charity that funds the local hospital and aids in other grass root projects. This organization has been instrumental in helping many people after the devastation caused by Hurricane Stan in October 2005.
- Dunitz & Company is a proud member of the Fair Trade Federation.