The Importance Of Ethically Sourced Jewelry: How To Know Where Your Jewelry Comes From

Consumers are no longer turning a blind eye to where the products they’re buying are sourced and manufactured. People want to know they're investing in a brand with an ethical ethos.

With so many new brands appearing, it can be difficult to divulge the good from the bad. If you're a modern-day consumer cautious of the products you're investing in, we're here to help.

Ethically conscious consumers often overlook jewelry and are more concerned with sustainable clothing or cruelty-free make-up.

But what if we told you jewelry can be as environmentally and socially damaging as these two items?

If you're curating a kinder wardrobe, you can't let your accessories go unnoticed. In this blog post, we're sharing why ensuring your jewelry is ethically sourced is essential.

What Is Ethically Sourced Jewelry?

To determine if our jewelry is 'ethically sourced', we need to understand what this means. If a piece of jewelry is ethical, the manufacturing and wearing of this jewelry has no harmful environmental or social effects.

Avoid Mass Production

We're all aware of the detrimental impact fast fashion is having on our planet; Jewelry and fashion accessories are just as harmful. The jewelry you're buying from fast-fashion retailers, or even small brands that don't abide by an ethical ethos, are mass-produced. Using cheaply sourced, low-quality materials, these businesses are manufacturing high quantities of poor quality jewelry that will end up in the trash and heading to landfill after a few wears.

Not only is this jewelry harming our environment, but mass-production of this jewelry is to the detriment of workers in lower-income countries. These workers won't be paid a living wage and will have to suffer in poor working conditions, churning out the same item one thousand times over. Mass production champions profit above all else, which is why people's lives and our environment will always suffer.

Invest In Regulated Resources

Mass-produced items are in high demand. To meet this demand, a company is going to need more resources. If a brand uses natural resources, such as animal parts or plants, they'll exploit these to acquire the materials they need. Deforestation that removes old forest and replaces it with plants that provide manufacturing materials is becoming increasingly common. This process produces a high CO2 output and can damage biodiversity. Similarly, if a brand uses natural animal parts, it may start hunting and harming these animals to obtain more of these materials.

If you buy from brands that use regulated resources, you know no animal cruelty or environmental destruction has gone into creating your product. The third part regulated resource companies ensure natural materials aren't overused and don't negatively impact humans, animals or the environment.

Before buying a piece of jewelry, check to see where and how they source their resources. Only buy from brands that source their materials through a regulated resource program.

Buy From Brands Who Value Transparency

Value transparency above all else when you're investing in a new piece of jewelry. If a business is implementing ethical and sustainable manufacturing processes, they have nothing to hide! Businesses are aware that people want to know how and where their production is taking place (it's a great marketing tactic, and any company that doesn't hope on board is severely missing out!)

If you're on a jewelry website or in a store, and information about the products is hard to locate, it's likely the brand is trying to hide something. Be an active consumer and investigate the global impact your purchase has. We all have a responsibility to be kinder and more mindful of the natural wonders that surround us— make sure the brands you buy from exhibit this same sentiment.

Global brands are becoming quick to claim they're ethical. The growth of ethical and sustainable consumer movements means people are demanding to know the ethics of brands they're buying from. Not all brands that claim to be kind to the planet and its people are putting this ethos into practice. As consumers, we need to work harder to discover the truth. Before you buy your next piece of jewelry, investigate where manufacturing takes place, the materials used, and the brand's ethos. If the brand isn't showcasing this information proudly on their website, with evidence to back up their statements, you know this isn't an ethical brand and one that doesn't deserve your time, money or attention.

When you buy from a brand, you're buying into an ethos, not just an item; make sure it's one you believe in.