Jewellery: "Good as gold"
If you are in the Passage, I suspect you think about the source of your gold and silver jewellery. In over fifteen years of placing pieces in the window, I've seen a major shift in the jewellery trade to traceable, sustainable and ethical sourcing of jewellery metals, but there has been a plenty of greenwashing and 'creative' marketing in that world.
Succinct guidance comes from Halifax, NS jeweller Dorothée Rosen, who is among the most conscious artisans around, as well as talented.
Her article, "Is Recycled Gold Ethical?" tells you the current state of improving but still inconsistent attempts to provide ethically-sourced gold. Rosen has obtained Fairmined™ licensed maker certification, which verifies all the sources of her purchases to strict standards of traceability.
Fairmined™ gold will cost between ten to twenty percent more than conventional gold. As the Fairmined organization says, "Traceability, responsible mining, fairer trade conditions and support to the communities come at an additional price." It presently represents only about 1% of the global mined gold production.
Recycled or repurposed gold sounds like another good choice; however, very few jewellers will actually repurpose your old gold. (There are good reasons why not; see "Why Not Re-Use Your Old Gold?" by California jeweller Sandy Moss of Calla Gold.) Typically the single earrings or broken chain is sold outright to a metal dealer, who bundles the pieces into a lot and refines them en masse.
An experienced Santa Fe New Mexico jeweller who pulls no gilded punches about the greenwashing element of "recycled gold", Marc Choyt (Reflective Jewelry), wrote an exposé here, in " 'Eco' Recycled Gold is a Greenwash BS Jewelry Lie". (He is one of the few who recycles clients' actual gold.)
The way to go, for responsible purchases of new metals, is Fairmined™-certified gold and silver, and here it is in today's window:
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| Photos: Courtesy of each maker |
Clockwise from top left:
Saskia Shutt's 10mm x 9mm hammered silver studs (detail) are made in her Brussels studio, perfection for everyday wear—and you can also order them with stones added. Price, from €100-€153.
This brushed and chiseled silver signet ring is an organic-looking beauty; made by Malleable, a Canadian company (based in Toronto) formed by jewellers who focus on ethically-conscious pieces. Price, $CDN 350.
Montréal's Myel (Myriam Élie) makes a chic, tailored signet, the "Theory 1" ring of 14k gold and four 2.5mm lab-grown diamonds; a fantastic update to any jewellery collection. Price, $CDN 3, 600.
Dorothée Rosen's iconic "One-Footer" ring in sterling, bold and graceful at the same time. Price, $CDN 290.
Barcelona's (and Etsy's) Emilie Bliguet
Some artisans use Fairmined™ and ethically-sourced metals exclusively; others use some Fairmined™, and some recycled metal.
But I won't buy jewelry only because it carries this designation; I have to love the design! One Fairmined™ jeweler who stands out is Emilie Bliguet, who has her own Barcelona boutique and an Etsy shop. She's Fairmined™-certified, and makes every piece herself. Hop over to the Etsy shop, EthicalJewelryEB, to see more in both silver and gold:
Here's one example, a striking silver pendant (price, $CDN 182):
Finale: Fine and Fairmined™
And we always go big for the finale, right, honeybunches? I choose them by the palpable rise in my heart rate, and this ring from Tabayer, an Italian company who work exclusively with Fairmined™gold. did it. This is the "Oero" ring of white gold and conflict-free diamonds; price, $US 3, 600. (Sold by Greenwich Street Jewelers, NYC.)
Shown, the narrow version; the ring is made in a wide version, too, and the Oera line includes a hinged bangle, necklace, and earrings.
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| Photo: Tabayer |
The sculptural Oera also provides inspiration for repurposing unworn stones and gold—however, there is a subtle grace to the elegant curve that, in the hands of less-skilled artisans, will not replicate precisely.
Finding jewellers
Look for a certified licensed Fairmined™ designation on the jeweller's site or in-store. Besides those in the windows, here's is a short list of artisans who currently make all or some Fairmined™ metals and disclose which of their pieces are made with it:
"Ethical" is all over various sites, but the Fairmined™designation puts accountability into the claim. I look at the jewellery I've accumulated over the years, and know it does not have such traceability. Now, we can do better and still enjoy the art.
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