We are committed to ensuring our practices are as ethical and environmentally friendly as possible. There are many aspects to jewellery making and material sourcing that can be incredibly harmful to people and the environment. We have done extensive research to ensure we are as sustainable as possible and this has been at the forefront since establishing the brand.

WORKSHOP

Traditional jewellery making techniques can be highly toxic and damaging to the environment. Our workshop has been set up using environmentally friendly alternatives to reduce these risks and avoid polluting our surroundings.

We are a small workshop so it is easier for us to control all aspects of the making process compared to large-scale industrial manufacturing, which is even more of a reason to shop small, shop slow and avoid mass-produced jewellery.

Instead of using harmful sulphuric acid derived pickles, we use a safe pickling powder that is 100% food safe and biodegradable. There can be traces of metal after pickling and we dispose of these safely to avoid contaminating watercourses and harming wildlife. We use Ecover washing up liquid in our ultrasonic machine instead of ammonia based ultrasonic cleaners which are commonly used and classified as a ‘hazardous good’.

Our jewellery is made to last generations, therefore we have taken the decision not to provide rhodium or gold plating in our workshop and only use solid metals. Not only does plating wear away over time but the fumes produced in the plating process are toxic and carcinogenic. By avoiding the plating process altogether we can keep our small workshop free from dangerous fumes whilst creating jewellery that is made to last.

We reuse as much as we can in the workshop. All metal lemel (filings and metal dust) is collected, refined and reused so nothing goes to waste. We also collect all wax filings and carvings and melt it down to be used again.

Another way that we aim to reduce our impact on the environment is by investing in second hand tools and equipment when possible. Much of our current equipment is second hand (verging on antique!) and was built to last. Where possible we avoid plastic in our tools and prefer to invest in metal equipment.

We are always learning and striving to make our studio a safe space to work and to ensure we are not harming our environment. We will continue to adapt as new and better alternatives become available.

MATERIALS + SUPPLIERS

All of the silver bullion used in our workshop is certified EcoSilver and is made from 100% recycled silver. EcoSilver is 925 Sterling Silver, however it is more environmentally friendly than newly mined metal and avoids the exploitation of miners and harm caused by the mining industry by reusing what already exists in disused electronics, jewellery scrap, and medical supplies. 925 Sterling Silver is made of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other alloys. EcoSilver guarantees that all of the metal alloys are recycled too. All of the silver solder we use is 100% recycled, EcoSilver solder. EcoSilver comes with a certificate of authenticity.

We only use 100% recycled silver, 9ct, 14ct, 18ct gold and platinum bullion. Our chain suppliers and casting suppliers use 100% recycled silver, gold and platinum in all of their products. Our casting supplier guarantees 100% recycled metals and our bullion supplier provides recycled casting grain, sheet and wire.

Our bullion supplier uses biodegradable packaging which we reuse for other purposes. Our casting supplier uses recycled paper boxes and their packaging can be returned to them to be reused or recycled.

Many jewellers use Fairtrade certified gold as a way of avoiding unregulated, dangerous gold mines and child labour. However, the Fairtrade mining process still involves the mining of new metal and this is problematic for many reasons. Smaller, artisnal fairtrade mines still often use mercury and cyanide as part of the mining process which is not only dangerous to the miners but also toxic to delicate local ecosystems. Many environmentalists believe that no gold mining can be considered ‘sustainable’. This is the reason why we will always avoid newly mined metal and only use precious metals that already exist and have been used in previous industries before being made into jewellery. We also repurpose heirloom gold into our designs.

GEMSTONES

Most of our gemstones are reclaimed from antique jewellery, which are then repolished to remove scratches and reused. In the instance that we do use new gemstones, we only purchase stones from the leading ethical gemstone suppliers who ensure that miners are paid fairly and work in safe conditions and are who are committed to providing a traceable and transparent supply chain.

PACKAGING

Our jewellery boxes are made from recycled materials and are recyclable. They are printed with a gold foil logo which is also recyclable. Unfortunately, the foam insert inside the boxes are not currently recyclable, however they can be reused to store your jewellery or if you’d like you can return them to us to be reused.

Our postage boxes and inside filling is made from 100% recycled and recyclable materials and made in the UK by a company who are committed to low-waste and sustainable practices. Our packing tape and postage labels are made from recycled paper, are biodegradable and use a rubber based adhesive.

We send our ring sizers in padded postage envelopes. They are made of recycled materials, biodegradable and can be composted at home or recycled.

—

We are always on the look out for eco-friendly alternatives so please get in touch if you have any suggestions or advice on how we can continue improving our work.