The Story Behind the Brand: How Altru Jewelry Came to Be
Before there was Altru Jewelry, there was Palettes and Petals — a handmade earring and accessory company I founded in 2018, rooted in something deeply personal.
My dad was diagnosed with ALS in 2018. The disease progresses fast, and with ALS, the changes are constant. Just when you think you've conquered one new challenge, something else happens that you have to adjust to all over again. I am so incredibly grateful for the relationship I had with my dad, and for the time I got to spend with him.
Making earrings became my therapy. It gave me a creative outlet and a way to honor his memory through awareness, through advocacy, and through research funds. That mission has been at the heart of everything I've made since day one.
The Branding That Started It All
When I launched Palettes and Petals, I knew the branding had to be right. I wanted something lighthearted, fun, and a little whimsical — modern, but not so industry-specific that it would box me in if the brand ever evolved. I had one person in mind for the job, and it was a complete no-brainer.
Hannah Rhodes Bybee is the founder of Atlanta-based design studio Hey Hannah!, and she also happens to be my best friend since age three. We grew up on the same street in Salinas, California, and had always talked about collaborating on something creative someday. When it came time to build the visual identity for my business, I couldn't imagine anyone else doing it.
Hannah brought a questionnaire and mood boards to the process that helped me focus ideas I didn't even know I had yet. She already knew me, knew my aesthetic, and understood what I was building and why. The result was branding that felt less like a logo package and more like a creative work in its own right.
Sustainable from the Start
Long before I started making my own products, I was intentional about shopping from B-Corp and eco-friendly brands. When it came time to design packaging for Palettes and Petals, that same standard applied. Hannah and I researched sustainable packaging options together and landed on noissue — their custom branded tape became one of my first packaging staples, and I've been a fan ever since.
That commitment to thoughtful, minimal, sustainable packaging carried forward into Altru Jewelry. It's still a core part of how I operate.
From Palettes and Petals to Altru Jewelry
The brand has evolved, the name has changed, and the product line has grown — but the mission hasn't moved an inch. Fifteen percent of every Altru Jewelry sale goes to ALS research, and every piece I make is still in honor of my dad.
I live my life with the passion to make him proud. Everything I create is in his honor.
