Sustainability
We take our environment seriously and do our very best every single day to align our brand with our core values. Our focus is on longevity of our products, minimising waste in production and packaging, using materials that are ethically and sustainably sourced and giving back to communities in need.
Materials
Gold Vermeil
All our jewellery designs are made from 18ct Gold Vermeil. Gold Vermeil has a Sterling Silver base and is then plated with a thick layer of gold. Unlike standard gold plating, where the plating layer is about 0.5 microns thick, gold vermeil requires a thicker layer of 2.5 microns. This makes the gold layer last a lot longer, increasing its lifespan by years. The Sterling Silver base means it has a precious metal core, which can be re-plated or used as a silver piece of jewellery after the years of plating wearing off. Standard gold-plated jewellery uses inferior base metals, rendering the piece useless once the plating wears off.
We believe in creating jewellery that will stand the test of time, can be created from sustainable materials and can easily be recycled back into the production system if needed. Our pieces are therefore made of 100% recycled Sterling Silver, recycled 18ct solid gold where possible and when it isn’t, the gold is fair-mined to ensure the proper livelihood of workers involved.
Pearls
Our first core collections, has some designs that include natural fresh-water pearls. Our production partners have a high sustainability standard and make sure to source their gems from reputable sources that take great measures to sustainably farm their pearls. Read more about our partners below.
Packaging
We spent many months designing our packaging. We were looking for a high-quality look and feel, practicality and use, as well as packaging that was 100% recyclable. Every order comes with a jewellery box, and a cotton pouch and is presented in branded tissue paper and with a thank you card.
The box presented the first challenge due to many higher end boxes coming with foam inserts made from micro plastics or incorporated magnets that are not recyclable. From personal experience we found that many times, the boxes that jewellery comes in, is also not used much, because jewellery is often stored in home jewellery storage solutions, rendering the box useless. Therefore, we wanted a box that is high quality and protective, but can be completely recycled if it isn’t needed. We are proud to have achieved this by opting for a simple box, without foam inserts and instead including a beautiful cotton jewellery pouch to serve as a protective insert to the box. What’s more, the pouch is practical for carrying in your handbag or toiletry bag when travelling. It is unbleached and made from 100% recyclable/biodegradable cotton.
Our tissue paper is made from FSC certified paper as are our stickers and thank you cards. The cards were designed to create a pleasant and personal unboxing experience. But beyond that we wanted to avoid creating something that will be discarded the moment the order is unboxed. Our solution was to create a simple, personal card that can be used as an inspirational reminder or passed on to a loved one.
Production
During production we take the utmost care to not create unnecessary waste, recycle all scraps back into the system and choose suppliers that care about sustainability as much as we do by using responsible packaging and taking other measures within their businesses for environmental protection.
Our production partners are certified members of the Responsible Jewellery Council. They have been working for decades to create a factory with conscious sustainability choices. From recycled precious metals, 100% recycled and biodegradable packing, planting plenty of greenery around their factory and recycling water back into their system. We love that they have a policy of employing disabled workers and annual scholarship programs to train less fortunate people in the trade.
Buy Less Choose Well
Vivienne Westwood said it best: “Buy less choose well”. This is a concept that trickles into our design and production thinking. Rather than create pieces that don’t stand the test of time, either through quality or fashion trends, we choose jewellery that is timeless, versatile, will last and can be recycled back into the jewellery production system. We believe that long-term thinking for every aspect of our activities is beneficial not just to us and our customers, but to the general well-being of the production system and the wider world.
Shipping & Returns
Shipping
Royal Mail has a high standard when it comes to carbon emission policies as well as being an excellent service that has never let us down. It is not perfect by any means, but we are happy that they take it upon themselves to increasingly encourage their postal routes to be on foot as well as 21% of all their deliveries routes being zero emissions while working towards reaching even higher goals towards net zero emissions. We love their carbon calculator that allows businesses to understand their impact and help with our activities to offset emissions.
Returns
We do our very best to provide clear descriptions and high-quality photography on our platforms, to give our customers the best possible idea of what to expect from their jewellery orders. Further, we want to encourage customers to feel free to reach out and get any help they need prior to ordering, to avoid returns as much as possible. In general, mindful consumption is a principle we live by, as this can have a wide-reaching impact on the environment with all the choices we make.
Projects
Fashion, and in particular jewellery is our passion. But what fires us up at least as much, is working with people towards a better world. Our founder is a dreamer and idealist, having volunteered in various organisations towards peace building and environmental welfare. Therefore, it was only natural that supporting worthy causes had to be part of Sofia Dickie’s activities. Yes, sustainability policies are almost standard in organisations these days, but for us it is more than just a policy that ought to be implemented for business’ sake. It is a value and gives us a sense of purpose to get up each morning. We are only in our beginnings, but our dreams are far reaching. We have some organisations in mind that we want to partner up with for the sake of giving back. We will be updating on these developments in due course.
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