Sustainability and Craft

Creating long-lasting and sustainable pieces is a core ethos. As a maker, I believe in choosing high-quality materials from local suppliers, reputed sources, or supporting independent businesses. 

 

Supporting local

Handcrafted precious metal pieces are made entirely in my small home studio, with the help of family-run casters and platers based in London's jewellery district, Hatton Gardens, who have perfected their skills with decades of experience. 

The majority of gemstones, beads and supplies are sourced in-person, keeping my business's footprint as small as possible.

 

Reducing waste

All handcrafted sterling silver used is 100% recycled silver.

Working on a made-to-order model and keeping a small inventory helps reduce excess materials waste and stock. All packaging sent with website orders are recyclable, including jewellery boxes. 

Leftover materials are recycled as much as possible, every step of the way - from scrap silver and wax to leftover beads, which are kept for future designs.

 

Choosing long-lasting metals

Precious metals have been treasured throughout history, and can be passed down through generations. Sterling silver has wonderful properties, and it can be polished back to its original shine time and time again.

I offer the option to add a thick layer of gold your sterling silver pieces, as a more accessible option to solid gold. All gold-plated pieces offered qualify as "gold vermeil", which requires a minimum of 2.5 microns (around 5x thicker than commercial gold plating). Rings are plated with 3 microns, making them even more durable and should last for many years with care. 

Almost all metal components used in necklaces and bracelets are sterling silver, or gold fill. Gold fill is again, not gold-plated. Although the base metal is brass, it undergoes a different chemical process resulting in a durable colour which can last for 10 years or more.

 

Sustainability of beads

Beads have been part of its own circular economy for most of human history.  Beaded jewellery using glass and stone can be traced back as far as 5000 BC. The magic of beads, lie in their journey through different places and owners, only to end up with you. 

Repurposed beads
Reusing pre-loved and vintage beads is one of the most sustainable ways of production. Repurposed beads I use are mostly glass.

Glass beads and seed beads
Czech glass beads and Japanese glass beads (Miyuki and Toho) are known for their quality and precision. Both the EU and Japan also have well-governed labour laws to ensure ethical production.

Gemstones and pearls
All cultured pearls and semi-precious stones are sourced from reputable suppliers and like most freshwater pearls available commercially today, are grown on farms. Pearl farming means molluscs are able to grow pearls, and live on after they're extracted. Farms have a positive impact on the area's marine ecosystem.

Before pearl farms, molluscs were harvested and opened one by one in an attempt to find pearls, resulting in a huge amount of wasted sea life.