Sustainability
From the materials we use, to our solar-powered workshop, and even our eco-friendly packaging, sustainability is at the forefront of everything we do.
Our Metals
Just as important as how your jewellery is made, is what your jewellery is made from. Because we work exclusively with precious metals such as gold, silver, and platinum, our jewellery is quite durable. Should something eventually wear out, it can always be repaired or fixed. Plated jewellery (gold or silver plating over base metals), on the other hand, wears down over time and the exposed base metals often break, corrode and/or cause skin reactions. For this reason we use only the purest of precious metal alloys, and avoid using aluminium, nickel or other metals that commonly react with skin. Precious metal jewellery can also be melted down and refined back into its pure form without any loss in quality, meaning it can be recycled over and over again.
100% Recycled Silver. Since the quality and purity of the metal is equivalent, we make all of our jewellery using as much recycled silver, gold, and other metals as possible. Metal mining has a huge impact on our environment, and using recycled metals greatly reduces our demand for virgin metals. We are continually trying to increase our use of recycled metals and our entire Ocean Collection is now made from 100% recycled silver!
Ethical Gold. When 100% recycled is not an option (we are still working on getting to this point with our gold), we make sure to source only ethically-mined Australian gold. Australian gold mining is held to a much higher standard of environmental and ethical practices than generally happens overseas, so when new metal must be mined, we are quite particular over where and how that happens.
Recycle your jewellery with us!
We encourage our customers to trade in and recycle any jewellery they no longer wear, with us. We will gladly buy your silver, gold or platinum jewellery in exchange for a credit or agreed upon price. We can then recycle your metal by melting it down, refining and using it in the jewellery we make, further reducing our need for virgin metals. If your jewellery is of sentimental value, we can even create a special custom piece for you using your very own metal and gemstones.
Our Gemstones
We’ve all heard of blood diamonds, however there are many factors that go into the ethics and sustainability of a gemstone. Like anything that comes out of the ground, gemstone mining also has an environmental impact. The extent of this impact, however, varies greatly depending on the type of stone and specific mining practices used. All of our diamonds are certified conflict-free, but because the supply chain from mine to market is so complex and difficult to trace, we aim for a standard beyond just conflict-free. And the best way we know to achieve this is to source our gemstones from small-scale mining operations right here in Australia that we can trace ourselves.
Queensland Sapphires. If you haven’t noticed we have a particular love affair with Australian sapphires. Sapphires are the second hardest gemstone after diamonds, and come in a range of stunning colours. Not only is Australia renowned for producing some of the most beautiful sapphires in the world, Australian sapphire mines are typically small family affairs, operating under strict environmental regulations that include land restoration and minimal impact on water quality. They must also provide proper health and safety standards in the workplace and fair wages for all mine workers. All of the stones in our Australian Sapphire Collection are natural sapphires mined from the Central Queensland gemfields. Most of the stones we source come directly from miners we know personally, and have built a strong and trusting relationship with over many years of working together.
Our Commitment
Our commitment to environmentally responsible business practices is an ever-evolving goal. We strive to be a zero-waste company and are constantly working on how we can reduce our environmental footprint. Our jewellery workshop operates under a closed cycle, recycling all of our lemel and scrap metal. Our goal is to eventually use 100% recycled silver, gold and other precious metals in ALL of our jewellery.
This commitment doesn’t stop with metal though. We use recycled and/or eco-friendly materials in all of our packaging and printed materials, and recently invested in a solar-powered workshop to reduce our energy consumption. We even have a worm farm and home compost setup for our kitchen scraps and shredded paper. We are continually working to implement changes in our office/workshop such as swapping single-use items for reusables, reducing plastic and cutting down on general waste. Environmental sustainability is no easy feat, but it is something we are incredibly passionate about and in our opinion, well worth the extra effort.
