Sustainability
We are continually striving to be as sustainable as possible and have set our sights on becoming a B-Corp. However, we recognise that this is a journey and despite being a team of perfectionists we aren’t there yet.
We wanted to share some of the small steps we’ve already taken to becoming a responsible business and the big plans we have ahead. We also like to champion other responsible brands who we know are doing their bit to help protect our planet for the future generations.
Whilst we (of course) love compliments, we are always looking for ways we can improve so please do share your ideas for how we can do more as all suggestions are hugely helpful and very welcome.
We know we can do better, and we’re working on it.
RESPONSIBLE MANUFACTURING
Amelia, our founder, has personally handpicked the small number of workshops we use and closely reviews the supply chain ethics. Our main workshops are based in the UK, India and Thailand, where we have strong and mutually beneficial relationships.
We continuously collaborate with our suppliers to ensure they meet our high standards of quality and conduct, pushing for greater transparency wherever we can.
We are also proud to share that our UK workshop uses 100% recycled gold, our workshop in Thailand uses 100% recycled gold and silver, and our workshop in India uses up to 60% recycled metals. You can shop our recycled precious metals collection here.
Made to last
We want you to wear your jewellery every day and our pieces are the perfect partner, built to deal with the daily grind and travel through life with you. We use premium materials chosen to be beautiful and resilient.
We’ve never been fast about fashion, our pieces are timeless and classic, which take time to design, make and test. All of our pieces go through strict quality control and our team carefully checks the fittings, comfort and quality. We try to replicate whatever you might be getting up to in our jewellery (even the things we tell you not to do, like swimming or sleeping in it) to ensure we know what our jewellery can stand up to.
We want you to enjoy your jewels for decades to come and hang our hat on our quality promise. We now offer a five year guarantee that if our design lets you down, we’ll fix it or replace it. We also know (all too well from our own children) that sometimes a tired toddler can play tug of war with a necklace - and that accidents can happen. We also offer a repair service for a very small fee.
We also now offer silver and gold recycling services, with the incentive of an Auree gift voucher.
We use recycled materials as much as possible including, gold, silver, paper and plastics.
Our PlANET
Almost all of our packaging is now made in the UK and it can either be recycled or easily reused:
- Our UK produced white postal boxes and inner white ribbed gift boxes can be recycled, along with our UK printed care cards.
- Our jewellery pouches are made from 100% cotton and can be reused or recycled. We have moved to paperless dispatch so you won’t find a printed invoice or returns label in your order but do get in touch if you need one.
- Our catalogue and postcards are printed on FSC certified paper and can be recycled.
- Our new ribbon we use to tie your bows is made entirely from recycled bottles, which is hugely exciting. Our new gift bags are made from FSC paper and 100% cotton handles.
Where this isn’t possible, we are working hard to move to more sustainable options:
- The white jiffy bags we use with some orders unfortunately can’t be recycled as they are made from composite materials. We have been trying to replace these with a recyclable alternative but so far have not been happy enough with the quality and we don’t want your new jewels to arrive damaged. In the meantime, please reuse them where possible rather than throwing them away.
- Our 9ct and 18ct gold ring and cufflink boxes contain plastic with a leatherette finish but these are designed to store your jewellery for years to come.
One of the biggest challenges in the jewellery industry is eradicating plastic – as clear plastic bags have traditionally been widely used to protect jewellery on its journey from the workshop to the jeweller. We are now working with our workshops to ensure we receive each piece in a renewable and sustainably sourced cellulose film bag, which is biodegradable.
Big Ocean Clean Up
Whilst we believe that improving our operations and supply chain is the best way to be sustainable, we know there are some carbon emissions that can’t be avoided. Our founder Amelia grew up by the sea and so we are currently looking into coastal habitat restoration projects designed to offset carbon emissions. As Amelia is passionate about cleaning up our coast she has donated to the Big Ocean Clean Up and collects plastic from her local beach to give to a small business called Washed Up Cards who create cards with plastic washed up on beaches and rivers around the UK.
GIVING BACK
Our bottom line isn’t just a spreadsheet, we’re passionate about the charity partnerships we undertake, with the commitment from us to donate 100% of our profits from the sale of pieces in those collections. We think that’s pretty unique when it comes to charity collaborations and are proud of that fact.
In October 2016 we were excited to launch our first charity collaboration with The London Chatter, which raised over £30,000 to support the work of For Rangers in conjunction with Tusk.
In September 2020, we launched our second charitable initiative with Baby Bank Little Village where Amelia and our team volunteer. Our rainbow design symbolises hope and solidarity, which is what Little Village is all about - one family's gift to another. Little Village is a brilliantly run charity where every penny is put to good use. Nothing is wasted and every employee and volunteer shows such passion and determination for the cause. The care that goes into preparing clothes, equipment and toys for each individual family is second to none.
RECYCLED PRECIOUS METALS
Westbourne 9ct Yellow Gold Disc Pendant
