How-To: Purchase Jewellery Sustainably

 By: Isobel Preece 

The purchase of sustainable clothing has now become an important precedent for us, but it seems that in other categories, such as jewellery, we put little thought into our ethical purchases. Like with clothing, we can have the most direct impact by buying fewer pieces that are of better quality. We can also help eliminate the damage caused by the mining of scarce resources by purchasing pieces made from recycled metals, or that are vintage and have already used some of those resources. Over the years I have realised the importance of investing long-term by prioritising slightly more expensive, yet timeless pieces, and the guidelines below reflect what I've learned.

Purchase from jewellery brands that adopt sustainability as their core aim.

justtrade.co.uk

This shop offers handmade jewellery produced by artisans using locally sourced materials, with prices that range from £12-75.

creaturejewellery.com

This site offers minimalist and basic designs and adjusts for production of new pieces based off demand in order to avoid excessive waste.

pyrrha.com

This is a pricier online shop that offers unique, carbon-neutral pieces. By recycling objects from goblets to computer components, it turns materials mined years ago into brand new pieces.

Be most impactful by buying vintage.

This is an easy swap to make, and it minimizes environmental impact to the fullest. The most obvious places to look include antique stores, flea markets, and charity shops, but here are a few online stores (remember to opt for zero waste packaging at the checkout!) that are more feasible for browsing while COVID still drones on, including as ebay.co.uk, etsy.com, and PILondon.co.uk, which all offer an extensive range of handpicked items.

How to look for good-quality pieces:

Tip #1: Ensure durability.

Avoid enamel (it chips) and pearls (overtime their structure will disintegrate), try to buy sterling silver pieces hallmarked with a 925 grade, and check the setting of stones, and that clasps and joints are in functioning order.

Tip #2: When shopping online, always look at the product description.

This should include the weight of the piece and the quality of stones used.

What to do with your unwanted jewellery:

Look for shops that have upcycling services, such as Readorn.London, which will trade old jewellery for vouchers and in return reintroduce the metal back into circulation.

And finally, remember you can always be creative with objects you find and upcycle them into new pieces yourself, utilising online tutorials and other creative inspiration.