The movement towards investing in ethical brands is gaining momentum across the board - from our weekly food shops, to our furniture, to our lingerie & skincare. In turn, this demand for kindness is inspiring more thoughtful supply chains, and those more careless brands are being pulled up & shamed for their contribution to sweatshops, child labour and plastic waste. There is, of course, still a long way to go, but thanks to brands like the one's listed below - we are taking small steps in the direction of a fairer, kinder and more sustainable future.
While impulse buying affordable pieces can be tempting, it's important to ask yourself where those pieces have come from, and what cruelty has played a part in their production. I'll admit that until recently this rarely crossed my mind when deciding what to buy and wear, but since learning more about mass-production I am making an effort to shop more consciously. Along my search for kind brands, I came across 5 stand-out jewellery companies with stunning collections, and all with good at their core.
Civerso (formally 'Creature Jewellery') by Lucy Watson "Exquisite, ethical and effortless - we believe that beautiful, high quality jewellery shouldn't cost the earth". When Lucy Watson creates anything, you just know that kindness to animals and the planet will be at the heart of its ethos - alongside her impeccable taste.From people, to product, to packaging - Civerso vows to never mass produce, to make collections in small quantities that create minimal waste, and to use recycled materials where possible to craft the beautiful pieces....Not only are the collections all innovatively ethical, but they are designed so exquisitely that there are 5 pieces currently sitting in my cart.
Monica VianderMonica Vinader is one of just a handful of other luxury brands to be awarded the Positive Luxury Butterfly Mark certification as a fully sustainable brand. You should check out the Doina collection, which is launching in 100% recycled silver. Celebrity fans of the brand include the Duchess of Cambridge and Kerry Washington.
Emma AitchisonThe gold and silver Emma uses for her collections are 100 per cent recyclable (where possible) and are also all Fairtrade. She works on a ‘made to order’ basis to combat overproduction, while her studio practices sustainability by ensuring materials are always recycled where possible – the lamps are even energy efficient - now that's attention to detail.
Feather and ChainAffordable ethically conscious brand Feather and Chain uses recycled silver in its latest Terra collection and predominantly uses man-made not mined gemstones. It uses responsibly sourced Amazonite and Moonstone sparingly in pieces and unsold items are recycled for future collections to cut down on waste. In addition, for every piece sold, £1 is donated to Save The Elephants (in true boho style).
Loveness LeeLee has a beautiful recycled silver collection, as well as using gorgeous sustainable packaging. It is on a path to becoming a fully sustainable brand, with a goal to use recycled silver across all collections. Going forward, all castings will be made in recycled silver, with a badge across the site highlighting which pieces already fit the bill.