What does sustainability look like for a jewelry and metalsmithing company?

The world of jewelry isn’t particularly eco-friendly. Gem mining is detrimental to the environment. Metal mining and refinery often requires the burning of fossil fuels and creates a lot of waste. The majority of jewelry sold is cheap, mass-produced, and will end up in the trash.

So what can you do if you want to buy eco-friendly, sustainable jewelry?

Reduce the amount of jewelry you consume and only buy high quality pieces that you actually wear,

Re-use the pieces that are in your collection, (get them repaired instead of throwing them away, or give them to a loved one),

& Recycle! If the materials can be melted down and re-purposed, it creates less demand for continued mining and wasteful practices.

I enjoy the process of reusing materials- taking apart old jewelry and giving it a new life is a wonderful thing. Unlike fabric, paper, or other materials that break down over time, metal and gemstones are durable and can be kept in near-perfect condition for centuries. In my small studio, not a lot of work is outsourced. I make the vast majority of materials by hand, using recycled scrap. I’ve even begun learning lapidary arts and cutting my own stones to reduce the need to outsource gemstones.

The fabrication itself produces little to no waste- even silver and gold dust is collected and recycled into new pieces. It’s hard to make sure that every aspect of the business is harmless, but I try to choose eco-friendly and clean practices in all of my work whenever possible. When you buy a piece from TYJ, I want it to last a lifetime.

Learn more about the studio process here:

Unique Wedding & Engagement Rings

Designed and constructed with care from start to finish.