One of the things I struggle with is how to balance my love of fashion with my desire to be a socially and environmentally responsible shopper. I eschew fast fashion, choose more sustainable fabrics, but I struggle with my sustainable jewelry options. I recently went looking for more ethical jewelry choices and decided to share what I found.

Choosing to shop for ethical jewelry combines concerns about: the environmental impacts of mining and processing, the working conditions for mine workers, contributing to dictatorial regimes, the corporate monopoly of resources, the lack of economic development in mining areas, and more. No matter what your particular concern is, it is difficult to avoid the reality that jewelry creation can come at a high cost to the planet and the beings that inhabit it.

There are more ethical jewelry options out there options. Many jewelers wanting to have less of of an impact on the environment and in contributing to the conditions of peoples in mining areas, and realizing that there is a demand from consumers, have started using more ethical jewelry sourcing of raw materials. Ethical Metalsmiths is a group of jewelers who have organized and are committed to encouraging more ethical jewelry production and to educate consumers. In addition, there are campaigns to raise the profile of issues surrounding ethical jewelry, like Earthwork’s “No Dirty Gold” campaign and the Global Witness campaign to stop Conflict Diamonds.

Here is a list of amazing jewelry companies who offer more ethical jewelry options. From using recycled metals and gemstones to repurposing vintage jewelry, these jewelers have a commitment to offering lower impact jewelry choices, so consider their goods the next time you want to add a piece to your collection or you need to purchase a gift.

17 Ethical Jewelry Companies for Responsible Jewelry Shopping

1. East Fourth Street
2. Rose and Fitzgerald
3. Smart Glass Jewelry
4. Brilliant Earth
5. Alexis Russell
6. Anna Fine Jewellery
7. Honey Rosenk
8. Andrea Bonelli
9. VKeco Jewelry
10. Bario-Neal
11. Cred Jewellery
12. Nightfox Jewelry
13. Valkasinskas
14. Kara Daniel Jewelry
15. Rebecca Mir Grady
16. April Doubleday
17. Amalena

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Image: Alexis Russell

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Livia Firth designs her first piece of sustainable jewelry and teams up with C.L.A.S.S. to create a fabric library.

We’ve been thrilled to follow Livia Firth, Creative Director of Eco Age and wife of Oscar-winning actor Colin Firth, as she has brought sustainability thinking onto the red carpets for a few awards seasons now. Her Green Carpet Challenge started out as a personal project, where she chronicled her conscious gown choices on her Vogue UK blog, but has garnered significant attention lately as Firth has managed to recruit some serious star-power.

Meryl Streep teamed up with Lanvin to create a golden gown made from eco certified fabric, Tom Ford created a gorgeous v-neck cocktail gown for Julianne Moore using vintage velvet and, for the BAFTAs, Viola Davis wore the first-ever eco Valentino gown.

For the Oscars this year, Livia Firth herself worked with Valentino’s studio to create a stunning red gown made from post-consumer recycled PET. Mr. Firth, who has done his fair share of green carpet challenges, played the recycling card and wore the same Tom Ford tuxedo he donned while accepting his Oscar for The King’s Speech.

It’s great seeing Firth challenging A-listers to dress consciously on the red carpet to make it a little more green. To make this easier for her fellow award show attendees, she recently teamed up with sustainable fabric guru Giusy Bettoni’s global network C.L.A.S.S. (Creativity Lifestyle and Sustainable Synergy) to start the first Green Carpet Challenge Fabric Library. Designers and their celebrity clients can use this resource to find more sustainable fabric options, making the entire process of creating a green carpet gown much easier.

“We will offer the great designers who work with us a host of exciting ethical fibers and ideas and continue to push the boundaries of world class aesthetics with ethics,” says Firth.

What is really great about this new venture is that the Green Carpet Challenge Fabric Library will include offerings far beyond the typical eco staples like hemp and organic cotton. There are ethical and sustainable alternatives for a whole spectrum of materials, from wool, silk cashmere, cotton, linen, hemp, vegetable tanned and dyed leather to recycled polyester (eg. Newlife®), recycled polyamide, cashmere, cotton, denim and wool (eg. Cardato Regenerated).

“I have known and enjoyed working with Giusy of C.L.A.S.S. for a number of years,” Firth says. “Bringing together her unparalleled knowledge of sustainable fabrics with the GCC’s continued mission to increase the profile and the possibilities of sustainable style makes huge sense.”

We could not agree more.

Firth also recently launched her own eponymous eco-friendly fashion label, Livia Firth Design (LFD). This collection will feature a small line of luxury clothes and accessories designed by Mrs. Firth herself. Pieces are all produced with “love, fair trade rules and environmental standards in mind.”

The first piece from the collection to be released is a limited edition skull necklace. This necklace is Liva Firth Design’s first piece and it’s been made with sound manufacturing ethics in mind. The bronze used is made in the U.S. – in a solar powered factory – and is then sent to a jewelry-making co-operative in Devon in Southwestern England. There, the skulls are hand-crafted using the lost wax casting technique, a process developed by the Ancient Egyptians over 4000 years ago which involves covering a clay work of art in molten wax and allowing it to harden before covering it in a substance called “grog” to create a mold. The hot molten bronze melts the wax when it is poured in and a bronze sculpture is the result. Each of the four skulls on this necklace has been handcrafted in this manner, by artisan workers who are keeping age-old traditions alive.

The necklace is exclusive to Eco Age and features four handcrafted skulls on an unconnected chain, meaning that the necklace can be worn in a variety of ways (which Livia demonstrates in a the video clip below) and you can mix it up as you wish, wrapping it around your wrist or upper arm, or wearing it as a choker or pendant, depending on your mood and occasion. Intricately made with strength, playfulness and rebellion at its core, this necklace is guaranteed to bring an exciting edge to any outfit.

“LFD has at its heart simplicity and glamour and a little bit of playfulness, which should always be part of our life.” said Firth.

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