Our Top 10 Sustainable Jewelry Brands for 2021
Jewelry is personal. Whether you’re treating yourself, giving a gift to someone, or asking the love of your life to marry you, every jewelry purchase has love and care behind it. We’re here to help you make your decision even easier because it can be difficult to navigate through all the noise online and find a jewelry brand you believe in.
Because you don’t settle for just any jewelry brand.
You only select brands that are on the same page with you when it comes to what’s important: elegance, affordability, and sustainability. We put together a list of some of our favorite sustainable luxury jewelry brands for 2021.
Some promise jewelry made from 100% recycled materials, others adhere to the Kimberley Process – which promises ethical and conflict-free diamonds, and still others promise lab-grown diamonds that are made at labs that use green energy.
No need to hesitate with any of these sustainable jewelry brands. They have the planet’s back. They’re leading the way into the future of the jewelry industry. One that:
- Is transparent
- Recycles and reuses what’s already out there
- Ethically sources it’s gold, silver, and diamonds
- Paves the way for a new generation of responsible consumers to feel proud of where they put their money.
Check out the best ethical luxury jewelry brands of 2021:
Lark and Berry
Lark and Berry is a company that came onto the scene ready to shake things up in the jewelry industry. They put sustainability at the front of their mission. All of the diamonds they use in their line are lab-grown diamonds. Because lab-grown diamonds and mined diamonds are the same things, they didn’t have to choose ethics or style – they chose both.
This keeps their promise of transparency when it comes to their diamonds. Their jewelry pieces don’t leave destroyed earth behind and are 100% conflict-free. They also have carbon-neutral shipping and part of every purchase helps plant trees through One Tree Planted.
Loveness Lee
Loveness Lee uses recycled silver in all of their products. Silver comes with the price tag of needing to be mined and transported – both of which have negative effects on the environment. So to mitigate that, Loveness Lee focuses on certified recycled silver so as to not leave a big footprint behind.
London-based, they have a storefront that people can walk into and see the jewelry being made in action!
Vashi
Vashi is another brand where their workshop is in store. They also make everything to order. This helps them cut down on the effects of shipping and having excess stock that’s wasted. When it comes to the materials used, they source everything sustainably – making sure to use recycled gold and platinum, and conflict-free diamonds.
Their diamonds are mined, but certified conflict-free – a certification that is verified annually by an outside source. Vashi also makes sure they don’t fall trap to using mines that take advantage of the locals. They make sure that benefits are felt by the community. Diamonds are only acceptable for use at Vashi if they follow the Kimberley Process and UN resolutions to stay ethical.
Mejuri
Mejuri knows, like we do, that you don’t have to sacrifice your values for your style. That’s why transparency is at the core of who they are. Everything is traceable – not just so you can be assured of what you’re buying, but so they can keep themselves accountable for the impact they have on the planet.
They use both recycled and mined metals – using about 40% certified recycled metal and 60% ethically-mined metal. Their diamonds and gemstones are conflict-free, and their diamonds must be certified via the Kimberley Process.
Catbird
Catbird is a woman-run business that’s based in New York. They go above and beyond to make sure they are upholding their values for their business, their employees, and their consumers. They take their responsibility seriously and follow up on claims made by their suppliers to ensure accuracy and transparency.
They have recycled diamonds, lab-grown diamonds, and mined diamonds in their pieces – all of which are held to the Kimberley Process and are conflict-free. They even take the extra step to make sure their cutting facilities are audited regularly.
They only work with select gemstones from mines that live up to their standards. They also are a member of No Dirty Gold, which is an initiative that works to make sure the environment and human rights are at the forefront of gold mining. Catbird also donates a percentage of their sales to nonprofit organizations.
Omi Woods
Omi Woods jewelry uses African gold that is fair-trade and sourced from smaller mines. Sourcing this way helps give back to the community by ensuring a living wage, positively impacting healthcare and education, maintaining safety, and improving living conditions.
A lot of gold is directly connected to conflict, but not what Omi Woods uses in their jewelry. They rely on suppliers that put ethics first and care about minimizing their carbon footprint.
Norrfolks
Norrfolks has led the way by being the first brand in Europe that makes fine jewelry with 100% lab-grown diamonds and recycled gold. Their labs that produce their diamonds run on wind and solar power – making them a leader in the eco-friendly jewelry space.
They run their business without the crazy markups other brands will have because they’ve eliminated the middlemen in the process of selling. Even better is that their lab-grown diamonds cost 30% less than mined ones, meaning you’ll find more wallet-friendly options here than elsewhere.
Marie Beatrice Gade
Marie Beatrice Gade is another brand that is only made-to-order to cut down on waste. Everything is handmade by the founder, after which the brand is named. Zero waste and a low carbon footprint are the name of the game for this brand.
Everything is plastic-free, including the packaging, and Ecosilver and Ecogold (which are recycled silver and gold) are used in each piece. None of the jewelry from this brand is plated or filled – solid metals only. Marie Beatrice Gade is another that donates part of the profits to charity to help the planet.
https://www.mariebeatricegade.com
Taj Amsterdam
Taj Amsterdam cares for both earth and community. They use 100% recycled silver in their pieces and give back to the local community in Bali where their workshop is located. They run programs to help teach people the skills they need to work and support their families, such as classes on beading and blacksmithing.
All of their jewelry is created with little chemical waste – that which is made is properly and responsibly disposed of, and none of it finds its way into the earth. They also donate part of the profits of their company to the Het Kan Wel foundation to support their Tree of Life Initiative.
Upcycle with Jing
Upcycle with Jing takes recycling plastic to the next level. This jewelry line consists of earrings, brooches, necklaces, rings, hair pieces, and bracelets. All are made from recycled PET plastic bottles in Helsinki and designed by designer Jing Wang.
Sustainability is at the heart of the mission – taking what is already out there and upcycling it into something new and beautiful that you can wear any day and any time. The mission doesn’t end with just jewelry though, Upcycle with Jing has a long-term vision of upcycling 80 tons of waste a year. 7% of website purchases are also donated to Project Greenhands, an outreach project that helps increase green cover in India.
Get started on your next beautiful jewelry purchase. Shop our collection.