6 Ethical Jewellery Brands That Shine (Excuse the Pun!)

All that glitters is not gold, or silver for that matter. And if you’re a Leonardo DiCaprio fan, or you just watched Blood Diamond, then you’ll be aware of the ethical issues surrounding the jewellery industry. But don’t worry, as a self-confessed jewellery addict, I’ve spent the last few years hunting down seriously gorgeous contemporary ethical jewellery brands. And I’ve made sure they are all really affordable. But first, let’s look at some of the facts:

According to The Human Rights Watch: there are more than 1 million children working in gold mines and these gold mines emit 1400 tons of toxic mercury yearly, threatening the environment and people’s lives. These are pretty scary statistics aren’t they? Understandably, no one wants their precious jewellery tarnished, with environmental and human rights issues. But there are some wonderful ethical jewellery brands challenging the status quo with their production. Brands who are choosing to source responsibly.

So here are 6 of the best ethical jewellery brands:

Catch Rhys

Catch Rhys has a beautiful array of fine jewellery for every day. Think simple chains, bracelets, rings and hoops made from recycled silver, 9ct gold and rose gold. This is jewellery to wear in the shower or on the beach; basically you never have to take it off. It’s perfect for a forgetful mum like me. I wear mine to bed and so wake up each morning ready to go. I love the fact that their chains are all different weights, lengths, colours and styles as it makes it so easy to style by layering them up. There are also some items for special days too. Catch Rhys kindly gifted me the rose gold and gold necklaces, however since then I have also bought myself a rose gold stacking ring (!)

What Catch Rhys is doing is so simple and stunning. I can’t believe no one else has thought of it.

Sustainable how? Made from recycled silver and gold, which reduces the environmental impact of jewellery making considerably.

Ethical how? All expertly made by craftsmen here in the UK.

Price? From £25 for silver hoop earrings.

Where to buy? catchrhys.co.uk

Little By Little

I’ve not come across another jewellery brand that take their inspiration from food, but that’s just one of the aspects that makes Little By Little unique. They have a whole range dedicated to the Seville orange and another to the mustard seed. I particularly love their ear cuffs and use of enamel to add colour. Plus they partner with Action Against Hunger and, for each item sold, they pay for 3 days ‘ supply of food to help a malnourished child back to health. I have a growing collection of items from Little by Little including their apple pip ear cuffs and necklace and seville hoop earrings.  I recently featured this brand in my Affordable Ethical Clothing Brands post, so please click here if you fancy a read.

Ethical how? The jewellery is ethically made in Lima, Peru. The factory was set up to train people with no previous experience in the art of jewellery production and give them jobs.

Sustainable how? Made from local Peruvian silver, some of which is recycled. However, all the metals used come from companies with environmental certification that meet strict labour standards and comply with human rights laws. Little By Little’s goal for 2019 is to find silver that is 100% traceable.

Price? From £40 for a silver ring

Where to buy? littlebylittlejewellery.com

aurum

Icelandic Jeweller aurum, creates beautiful ethical jewellery in the heart of the country’s capital Reykjavík. Their jewellery is inspired by nature, which being Iceland is dramatic and awe-inspiring. I love the rugged texture and authenticity of their pieces. Both the raven earrings and asterias necklace are made from sterling silver with 18k gold plate. Plus their packaging looks amazing and is environmentally friendly. Made from Mulberry paper, it is in the shape of an Icelandic stone that one of the founders, Guðbjörg, discovered on a beach. The fibres used to make this paper come from shoots cut from the Mulberry tree. As the tree doesn’t need to be cut down, the ecosystem is not disturbed.

Ethical how? aurum sources materials from certified Fairtrade companies. All their precious metals are recycled and re-refined. Their stones are certified and conflict free. Made in aurum’s own workshop in Iceland.

Sustainable how? Recycled metals plus their packaging is made from Mulberry paper.

Price? From £36 for silver earrings.

Where to buy? aurum.is

Edge Of Ember

I fell in love with Edge of Ember’s jewellery the moment I received a post card from them stating “Save our planet it’s the only one with ice cream” Their jewellery is fun, contemporary and with a big heart. Think bold cutting edge designs for the millennial. Ear cuffs, stacking rings, charm bracelets all feature and they’ve just launched their own range of fine jewellery in 14k gold. Designed here in London, all their products are then produced ethically in factories across Asia. I own this gorgeous Myla ring and chunky bangle that are both real statement pieces. Sadly they’ve stopped selling my bangle, but they have lots of other styles to choose from.

Ethical how? The word “ethical” to Edge of Ember equals, fair advanced pay (did you know many UK high street stores pay suppliers 90 days after the goods arrive in the UK?), safe labour conditions and no child labour ever.

Sustainable how? They use repurposed brass in their partner Cambodian workshop.

Price? From £38 for 18ct gold plated on sterling silver earrings.

Where to buy? edgeofember.com

Kashka

Elegant and stylish are the two words I’d use to describe Kashka’s jewellery. Founded by Naqiyah Sultan, Kashka is all about giving us wonderful every day jewellery in a fair way. Their gold has Fairtrade certification and their silver has Fairmined certification. And their jewellery doesn’t cost the earth. I own the nina bracelet that you can see above, it’s a delicate gold chain with pearls and is really pretty.

Ethical how? Fairtrade gold and Fairmined silver, they also belong to the National Association of Jewellers.

Sustainable how? Fairtrade Gold Standards include strict requirements on many issues, including protection of the environment. Small-scale gold miners often use mercury to extract the gold, because it is cheap. But this has a detrimental effect on people’s health and the environment. In fact, small-scale gold mining is the largest source of mercury pollution to air and water. However miners who are paid a fair price can afford to use safer processing methods.

Price? From £22.50 for earrings.

Where to buy? kashkalondon.co.uk

Kate Wainwright

I discovered Kate Wainwright’s handmade jewellery ealier this year when I worked with Wearth London. All her jewellery is made in her home studio in West Sussex. The materials she uses include recycled silver and ethically sourced gemstones. She kindly sent me the “Be Kind” necklace and made me this necklace with Daisy and Laurie’s names hand stamped on each side. She also pointed out that there were two blank sections to the necklace should we have any more children!

Ethical how? Handmade by Kate here in the UK.

Sustainable how? Uses recycled silver, plus my package arrived in a recycled cardboard box (bonus points!)

Price? From £15 for silver earrings.

Where to buy? Kate Wainwright

So here are just 6 of my favourite places to buy ethical jewellery, but I’m sure there are others. Please let me know if you have any to recommend. And to finish I have composed a list of questions for you to ask yourself next time you’re buying jewellery. These questions will hopefully help you to determine whether a brand is ethical.

Questions To Ask When Buying Jewellery

1. Is the brand using recycled materials? If not do they know whether their precious metals are from?
2. Does the brand know who is making their jewellery?
3. Are the brand paying their workers a fair wage?

Shop The Ethical Jewellery Edit

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Rope chain in rose gold | Catch Rhys

Fine figaro chain in gold | Catch Rhys

Apple pip ear cuffs | Little By Little

Apple pip necklace | Little By Little

Seville hoop earrings | Little By Little

Raven earrings | aurum

Asterias necklace | aurum

Myla Gold Double V Ring | Edge Of Ember

Nina bracelet | Kashka

Be Kind necklace | Kate Wainwright

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