“Causing, or made in a way that causes, little or no damage to the environment and therefore able to continue for a long time” (Cambridge Dictionary)

By definition the mining of minerals be they precious gemstones or gold, (or other things such as coal, oil, copper, iron or lithium etc) is not sustainable.  This is because they are finite resources – once it’s been dug up you can’t mine more.

It could be argued that some methods of mining are more sustainable than others due to the way in which they are mined, i.e. small scale and artisanal mining.  However the large mining companies aim is to get as much out, as quickly as possible to maximise profits.  It is estimated that 80% of the worlds gold is mined by these large mining companies.

Even in developed countries, where there are higher levels of environmental protection in place, mining causes huge environmental damage. It uses massive amounts of energy (electricity – lots of mining is done in countries where power stations are coal fired, transport, machinery) and contributes thousands of Kg’s of carbon into the earths atmosphere.  Amongst other things it can displace people and animals, cause damage to pristine wilderness, the sea bed, rivers etc and pollutants can leach into groundwater.

The worlds largest gold mine is Muruntau in Uzbekistan, you can see images of it, and other mines, taken by NASA, here

Artisanal and small scale mining often (but not always) causes less environmental damage because it’s on a much smaller scale, is less likely to use large machinery and therefore uses less energy and gives out less carbon.  At its worst, it can be unsafe for the people, communities and local ecosystems. At it’s best, it can support local communities, help with standards of living (schools, roads, healthcare, clean water, provide training so that miners know what  their product is worth, ensure children benefit from schooling instead of working in the mines, improve health and safety).

My thoughts:

Artisanal and small scale mining is more sustainable than large scale industrial mining.  It isn’t however truly sustainable because the gold and gemstones are a finite resource.

It is estimated that there’s 50,000 tons of gold left in the world and that if we continue to mine it at the same rate we do today, supplies will run out by 2050.

Gold, however can be recycled – refined, re-alloyed and reused. Recycled gold and gemstones and therefore the jewellery made from it, is sustainable, but there are some issues  – more of that in a future post.

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Being ethical, to me, is about considering and thinking deeply about all aspects of how I do business and how I can make changes for the better.

Things such as:

The way I treat my customers and suppliers

The due diligence I undertake when I’m deciding from whom and where to source things

Who and what I want to support and what I absolutely do not want to support

To whom I make charitable donations and, for instance, choosing to make a donation rather than sending Christmas cards

The little things like the brands of loo roll (recycled from SUMA) washing up liquid (Ecover) soap (Faith in Nature) and 100% recycled printer paper

Providing free feminine hygiene products in our loo for anyone who needs them

Providing a ramp at our front door to make life easier for anyone who needs it

Recycling and reusing packaging materials and using paper rather than plastic tape

The paint I chose when decorating my lovely shop (more environmentally friendly – The Little Greene Paint Co and Brouns & Co).  Repairing rather than stripping everything out and renewing, sensitively upgrading windows and insulation.  Buying antique furniture rather than new (much nicer too).

Being vegan and running a vegan business.  There are so many alternatives to using animals for anything, whether for food (there is absolutely no such thing as humane slaughter), sport (lets go shoot hundreds of sentient birds for “fun”), or testing (when there are other options) and not for polishing compounds, polishing mops, tools, glue etc.  After all, if we can live a happy, healthy life without harming animals why wouldn’t we?

Supporting artisanal miners, but also supporting recycled metals and stones (less environmental impact, less energy use and less carbon)

Who I bank with (The Co-operative Bank)

Where I buy my water and electricity (100% renewable electricity from Ecotricity, Everflow builds wells in developing countries)

Not currently supporting a tree planting scheme because I can’t find one that doesn’t kill deer to protect trees.

Giving you the best advice I can

Being open and transparent about what I do, and about the pros and cons of jewellery sourcing.

Choosing to remodel lots of jewellery because it’s the most sustainable way to get new jewellery and because there’s a higher level of traceability as you’re re-using your own metal and stones AND you get to keep all of those precious memories

Choosing not to provide a fancy “unboxing” experience.  Our card boxes, or handmade wooden boxes arrive in recycled packaging.  It might not be the swanky way to do it, but it avoids all those layers of tissue and ribbon and stickers and god knows what else that just end up in the bin

Choosing jewellery packaging that prioritises sustainability over a typically “high end” aesthetic.  Those posh boxes you see in the high end jewellers are created from multiple layers of card, laminated paper, metal, wood, glue, flocked foam, foil and synthetic fabrics.  They can’t be recycled and go straight to landfill.  Instead I use recycled, recyclable and compostable folded card boxes that are glue free and printed with vegan ink, alongside beautiful hand made wooden boxes made from wooden offcuts from a fine furniture maker who only uses UK timber.

I print the absolute minimum, choosing plant inks and recycled paper and card to ensure that everything is compostable.  My thank you notes are also beautiful bookmarks.

I don’t mass produce jewellery – it’s wasteful of energy and resources, plus it creates unnecessary carbon (and other) emissions and waste products.  I make to order instead.

I look for alternatives to chemicals e.g. citric acid instead of jewellery pickle (something we use to clean oxidation from metal).

I encourage you to buy less but buy better.  Only buy things that you really love and that are built to last.  Something I also do.

And then there’s the other things I do, which is what many businesses would say on their own gives them ethical credentials: fair pay, equal opportunities, no child labour, conflict free diamonds (which is utter nonsense – a Kimberley Process Certificate is not worth the paper it’s written on.

This is just a snapshot in time.

I am not perfect, the jewellery trade is far from perfect, but I do believe I am and that I run, an ethical business.  Judge for yourself.

The post What “Ethical Jewellery” Means to Me appeared first on Lisa Rothwell-Young.

Being open and honest about your materials, your sourcing and your practice.

Knowing where your materials come from and who mined them – “traceability”.

Choosing materials that help support artisan miners e.g. gold or gemstones.

Completing due diligence on your suppliers – asking the difficult questions.

Choosing materials that have a lower environmental impact.

Choosing not to use materials (precious metals and gemstones) that come from countries where their sale is suspected of funding wars and civil unrest.

Using recycled materials – whether that’s metal, gemstones, or in your packaging.

Not using animal products in your jewellery.

Being willing to change how you do things.

Is this what you thought I’d say? Is there something I’ve missed? Comments welcome as always.

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