While the focus on sustainable fashion grows, what about sustainable jewellery? For me, a perfect piece of jewellery is made from fairly-sourced or recycled materials, and tells an ethical story alongside a sentimental one. No matter the value of the piece, I want it to be made with love, care, and joy. And if you’re here, I imagine you feel the same!
To give you all the tools to source the best sustainable jewellery, I’ve put together today’s sustainable shopping guide on jewellery, covering what to look for across precious metals and gemstones, production methods, certifications, and aftercare.
What To Look For In Sustainable Jewellery
There’s a lot to consider when looking for a sustainable piece of jewellery. Here are my top recommendations, with additional input from sustainable jewellery experts.
It’s important to note that no one brand does all of the below, but many sustainable jewellery brands and designers specialise in two or three of these. There’s a list of brands I trust at the end of this guide.
1. Sustainable Precious Metals
The first thing to look at when buying jewellery is what the piece is made out of. If the item uses precious metals such as gold and silver, it’s incredibly important that these have been sourced ethically.
Gold is mined around the world, but the mining conditions – and the miners’ pay – varies from place to place. There’s also the social and environmental effects to consider: mining can involve the use of harsh chemicals, and a single gold ring creates 20 tons of waste before it reaches your finger. Due to the value of the materials, gold and diamonds can also create conflict, violence, and corruption.
You may think that recycled materials are a better alternative, but this too can be misleading. Victoria Waugh, Director at Considered Jewellery, explains: “In the jewellery industry, recycling is the norm. Precious metals are never thrown away due to their inherent value. Old and new sources of metal are routinely melted down and mixed together. Some metal deemed recycled, may have only been mined recently, for example off cuts from the manufacturing process. When searching for jewellery, look for brands that can provide certificates guaranteeing that their metal is 100% recycled and ideally from old jewellery or electronics.”
Here are a few terms that ensure truly sustainable precious metals are being used in your jewellery:
- Fairmined: Gold and silver that is certified by Fairmined from empowered responsible artisanal and small-scale mining organisations that meet high standards for responsible practices.
- Fairtrade Certified: Gold, platinum and silver that is certified by the Faitrade Foundation, ensuring small-scale miners receive a fair deal and are supported to make life better for themselves and their communities.
- Single Mine Origin: Also known as SMO Gold. This is a scheme working with larger mine sites that guarantees traceability of gold back to an individual mine working to high social and environmental standards.
- 100% Recycled: If a jewellery brand is claiming to use recycled metals, make sure it is 100% recycled, not a mix. Many brands will tell you where their metals are sourced – for example, 886 sources their recycled silver from archival medical x-ray film.
Finally, always check for a hallmark on your jewellery. Waugh says “In the UK every piece of jewellery made from precious metal, which includes gold and silver, must be independently tested for purity. The hallmark is your assurance that you are buying the real thing.”
2. Ethically Sourced Gemstones
What about gemstones? With so many precious gemstones available on our beautiful planet, there are many more considerations to take into account. Take rarity – some gemstones are incredibly rare, which leads to a higher probability of unethical practices. And then there’s longevity – certain gemstones are softer than others, so some are more suited to occasional wear rather than everyday.
When it comes to diamonds, many traditional jewellers rely on a system called the Kimberley Process, which was created to prevent the purchasing of conflict diamonds. Unfortunately, this system isn’t 100% guaranteed, so while it’s a good start, it’s not perfect.
Here are a few terms that ensure truly sustainable gemstones are being used in your jewellery:
- Lab-Grown: Lab-grown gemstones are manufactured rather than mined, and therefore ensure fair working conditions and traceability. They are visibly identical to mined gemstones, and often more affordable too. The one drawback is energy use, so look for those made with renewable energy. Read my guide to lab-grown diamonds →
- Traceable: Jewellery supply chains can be convoluted, so some sustainable brands are looking to distill this information to ensure clients can trust where their jewellery comes from. Look for brands using third-party platforms such as Ennotrace or Provenance.
- Upcycled: Some jewellery artists, like Rebekah Ann, recover and upcycle gemstones in their jewellery, making each piece beautiful and unique.
3. Fair Jewellery Makers
So, we’ve covered metals and gemstones. What about the people who make our jewellery?
Jewellery making is an exceptional skill, while also being a dirty industry. Brands that care about their makers will openly explain who their artisans are, where they are based, and what they are doing to provide fair wages and fair conditions. Those that go further will provide third-party certifications, and show how they are supporting their local communities and environment too.
A good example is Sacet Jewellery, who shares information on their craftspeople on their website, and with on a small card with every item too.
4. Excellent Aftercare
Finally, let’s focus on how well a jewellery brand supports you in looking after your jewellery. When buying a piece of jewellery, it’s important to consider the following questions:
- What documents will I receive with my jewellery?
- How often can I wear my jewellery?
- How should the jewellery be stored?
- How can I clean my jewellery?
- What happens if I need the item repaired?
- For plated jewellery: what happens if I need the item re-plated?
- Does the item come with a warranty?
These questions are especially important for wedding rings, eternity rings, and any other precious jewellery you may wish to wear every day.
Victoria Waugh of Considered Jewellery also notes: “Larger jewellery brands are increasingly offering gold buy-back schemes, so if you have broken jewellery or items you’ve fallen out of love with, you can have them recycled in return for store credit.”
And don’t forget jewellery care! Here’s my guide to cleaning silver jewellery, as well as my more general guide to looking after my clothes and accessories.
My Sustainable Jewellery Collection
Gold Mini Disk Necklace by Considered
Considered is one of the leading sustainable jewellery brands in my eyes. They consider their metals, production, and designs in equal measure, and I’m so grateful for their insights in this guide.
My Mini Disk Gold Necklace (gifted) from Considered’s Signature collection is a great representation of beauty and sustainability. The gold comes from a Fairmined certified mine in Columbia, called Iquira. When not mining, the miners in this community also grow coffee as another source of income. Once the gold reaches the Considered team in the UK, it is made into their beautiful designs. The emblem on this necklace reminds me of a butterfly, which is a powerful symbol in my life.
Large Hoop Earrings from April March
April March is a Brighton-based brand founded by Sarah Brannagan, whose work I’ve followed for a few years. It was a delight to discover her collection on the Pearls & Pomegranate site, and showcase this pair of handmade textured gold hoop earrings in a previous collab.
Made with recycled sterling silver, and fair mined gold vermeil plating, they show how recycled and fairly-sourced metals can work well together. The design is also just so beautiful, with a unique finish that celebrates imperfect, organic shapes and highlights the earrings’ handmade origins. Read my full review →
Gold Hoop Earrings by Monarc
By far, my most-worn piece of jewellery is my Little Chubbies from Monarc. These beautifully chubby gold hoop earrings are bold enough to work on their own, while being lightweight enough to not pull on my ears when wearing across an entire day. I’ve been wearing these almost daily for years now, and touted them as one of my best investment pieces back in 2021.
Since discovering Monarc, I have also invested in a pair of huggies, and my partner treated me to a chain-link bracelet a few years ago too.
20 of the Best Sustainable Jewellery Brands in the UK
Following on from what to look for in sustainable jewellery, here are some of the best sustainable jewellery brands in the UK that I’ve found, updated for 2025.
April March: Ethical jewellery, handmade to order in Brighton, UK.
Considered: Beautiful jewellery made with fully-traceable precious metals and true transparency.
Fenton: B-Corp certified jeweller specialising in responsible rings.
Jana Reinhardt: Wife and husband duo hand-making ethical gold and silver jewellery inspired by wildlife.
Just Trade: Budget-friendly handmade jewellery from makers in Peru, Ecuador, India, Indonesia and Vietnam.
Kimai*: Fine jewellery specialists using Lab-grown diamonds and 18k recycled gold.
Laconic: Ethical, empowered minimalist jewellery handmade in the UK.
Lark & Berry*: Jewellery made with lab-grown diamonds, guaranteed conflict-free.
Loft & Daughter: Certified B-Corp jewellery brand fusing traditional and contemporary designs.
Maren: B-Corp certified German jewellery brand now available in the UK.
Monarc: Modern gold and silver rings, necklaces, and earrings, handmade in the UK and New Zealand.
Monica Vinader*: Chic designs made with 100% recycled gold and silver. Get 20% off using my link!
Otiumberg: B-Corp certified jewellery brand with minimalist styles at mid-range prices.
Rebekah Ann: Brighton-based jewellery artist working with upcycled gemstones.
Sacet: Fine lab-grown diamond jewellery, consciously crafted, championing their craftspeople.
So Just Shop: London-based shop stocking ethically-made, budget-friendly jewellery.
Umutoni: Beautiful gold-plated jewellery handmade in Kenya.
Wild Fawn: Minimalist jewellery created from recycled silver and gold, built to last.
Vrai: Beautiful jewellery featuring lab-grown diamonds created with renewable energy.
886: Fine jewellery made from upcycled and recaptured materials from The Royal Mint.
Has this guide helped demystify sustainable jewellery for you? Let me know below!
