Modern life can feel like a minefield in terms of sustainability. Every choice we make has many ripple effects, the human effort that goes into everything from extraction of raw materials to the making of the millions of products available to us, and the environmental consequences of the processes used, can be overwhelming. Researching and sourcing the most sustainable solutions, whilst keeping the integrity of my designs is a constant work in progress. I seek to be transparent about all the materials and processes I use, and welcome questions and conversations, these are all opportunities to move forward on my own sustainability journey.

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• WOOD - All the woods I use are either recycled, vintage, or offcuts from furniture making. My designs are led by a desire to make the best possible use of these woods, many of which would never be sustainable to buy new, and all of which are precious unique materials. I cut and shape by hand which creates very little waste. Any tiny offcuts or wood shavings I produce are either used in other craft processes such as ceramics, or composted.

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• PAINT - The paint I use is water based acrylic. Acrylic is a petroleum based product, but as I am yet to find an eco paint which carries the colours I need to mix my palette. I use very small amounts of paint, and as my work is finished to a very high standard if cared for, these pieces should have a long life.

• WOOD POLISH - I use a beautiful, locally made wood polish containing just beeswax and organic olive oil along with a couple of essential oils.  It is made in tiny batches, and the bees are kept to the highest welfare standards.  I'd highly recommend this as a natural polish for wood, you can buy it here

• PACKAGING - All my packaging is made using recycled paper and cardboard. All packaging however carries an environmental cost, so I'm always looking for ways to improve, or reduce anything unnecessary.

 

METALS

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Currently these are the metals I use in my designs.

 

• SURGICAL STEEL 316L - In the absence of a recycled Silver option, I have switched all my earring studs to Surgical steel 316L. This is an extremely hypoallergenic type of stainless steel, which is infinitely recyclable and as such often comes from recycled sources. It also doesn’t tarnish, so it really ticks a lot of boxes. Some designs also include Stainless steel 304 (not surgical grade) chain.

• STERLING SILVER 925 - I now hand make my Silver earring hoops myself, using certified 925 Recycled Eco-Silver wire. All inlaid dots are also Eco-Silver, and I’m working towards all of my silver components being made from this recycled product. All silver chains are now also made from recycled silver, this is something I've been trying to change for a while and I'm so happy they are now more readily available!

• RAW BRASS - I have swapped the gold plated hoops I used to use for raw brass alternatives. The colour is lovely, and they are much more hardwaring - plating can wear off over time. It has so far proved difficult to trace the origin of any ready made findings as recycled. My research shows however, that as brass is more expensive to make from newly mined metals, around 80% of production comes from recycled copper and tin. Brass does tarnish, but see my jewellery care information for easy ways to clean your brass earring hoops.