While there is a lot of advice about buying the right skin care products in terms of its ethical sources, the same applies with so many other aspects of fashion. Jewellery is one of those important things that we may not think to be unethical, but there are so many sources of unethical jewellery. So, here is your guide to buying ethical jewellery so you can make the most of your stylish purchases.
Choosing The Right Supplier
For any jewellery to be ethical, the piece has to be ethical in origin, which means that it has had no negative impact on the environment or the people that have been responsible for sourcing the materials. While “blood diamonds” were a problem a few years ago, the Kimberley Process scheme established in the year 2000 (which prevents conflict diamonds from entering the standard sales procedures) means it’s unlikely you’ll find yourself in this position. If you want to learn more about the Kimberley Process, https://www.kimberleyprocess.com/ can give you all the information you need. Likewise, when choosing the right supplier, it’s important to do your research on the store in question. Luckily, nowadays, there are plenty of detailed reviews of specific jewellers, especially the larger scale ones, https://yourdiamondguru.com/reviews/blue-nile/ has a detailed review of the Blue Nile band, so you can see how ethical the company is for yourself. But you can dig further depending on the supplier you choose…
Enquiring With The Provider
Every jeweller worth their bling will know where the jewellery has come from, and they know the sources and ethical practices undertaken. After all, this is part of many a jeweller’s selling practice. So if you want to go one step further and find the best jewellery that is ethically sound, you can go straight to the provider. If they don’t know, then do you really feel comfortable buying from them? Some jewellery providers won’t tell you where gold or silver was from, and they won’t be able to tell you the working conditions, but you can go through fair trade providers, and numerous resources online that can point you in the right direction.
Recycling Old Jewellery
It’s something that’s very common now, and, in fact, royalty is making the most of this. Kate Middleton’s diamond and sapphire engagement ring belongs to Princess Diana. Family heirlooms or jewellery that is barely clinging on to life, can be recycled into a new piece, keeping the history intact, but creating a whole new structure. If you’re looking for ethical jewellery, it’s not just about how good it looks on you, but you need to know where it comes from. As far as old jewellery is concerned, this can be the best way to ensure that it’s ethically sound.
It can be a very long journey to get to this point, but if you have opened your eyes and seen the conditions that people have had to endure to get diamonds and gold or silver, you may think twice about purchasing something that’s half price in a sale!
Further reading:
Sustainable Jewellery: Principles and Processes for Creating an Ethical Brand – Sustainable jewellery contains all the aspects that are necessary to know in order to start the path towards sustainability in the jewellery business, from the traceability of gems and metals, to the impact of the processes of purification, smelting, polishing, etc., and the ways to work with certified materials.
Dirty Gold: How Activism Transformed the Jewelry Industry – The response from the jewelry industry to a campaign for ethically sourced gold as a case study in the power of business in global environmental politics.
This is a collaborative post.
