In recent years, we have all become much more aware of the ethics surrounding clothing production and fast fashion. We have been made aware about the human right violations and exploitation of workers for low prices. But what about the people who made our jewellery?
Unfortunately, the ethics of jewellery production are not spoken about as much. But just as with clothing, we believe jewellery should be produced in a way that doesn’t negatively impact those who made it and with minimised impact on the environment. Whether exploitation of workers or resources, with the right choices consumers can not only object to these unethical practices, but can also improve the lives of the people making their jewellery.
How is jewellery unethically produced?
Jewellery comes to us from a complicated supply chain. It is important therefore for companies to ensure this supply chain uses ethical labour.
We must consider how our beautiful jewellery pieces came to be. Big scale jewellery production can lead to problems such as worker exploitation, child labour, as well as leading artisans to operate in informal markets, making them vulnerable to mistreatment and leading to insecurity when it comes to their income. Practices such as child labour, found in jewellery supply chains, can cause children to work in dangerous working conditions as well as miss out on attending school and getting an education, which leads to devastating outcomes for their futures.
The jewellery industry, just like the fashion industry, can also be full of cheaply made products, destined to quickly end up in landfill and be replaced. Not only does this cause a devastating impact on the environment, but cheap jewellery also means workers are not paid enough and are usually required to work in unsafe conditions.
Ethical jewellery production
To ensure artisans are not exploited, it’s important to ensure the right working conditions for the jewellery makers, that they receive their deserved pay, as well as that no exploitation or child labour take place during the production of the jewellery. That’s why we have personally visited the workshops of our artisans to ensure no exploitation takes place and no underage staff is used for the creation of our jewellery.
Most of our handmade jewellery is sourced from Mexico, from local silversmiths whose craft has been passed down through generations. We wanted to go the extra mile and create a noticeable positive impact on the lives of these artisans who make running our ethical jewellery brand in the UK a possibility.
Our manufacturing partner in Mexico helps us to ensure our artisans are paid fairly for their products, helps them buy the necessary equipment, as well as ensure all the artisans own homes and their children are in school. We are proud our ethical jewellery brand in the UK is able to support and improve the lives of our talented artisans in Mexico and other parts of the world.
While we care deeply about our artisans, we also want to ensure our local, London staff is cared for. We do our best to support the development of our staff and to ensure their well-being is cared for. We believe an environment where our team is happy will benefit not only our business but help us provide the best customer experience and build our small Mon Bijoux family.
How are we running a sustainable jewellery company?
Besides supporting our jewellery makers, we also want to create the least impact on the environment as possible. That’s why we use eco-friendly packaging for all our jewellery, sourced locally from the UK. 90% of our packaging is recycled and can be recycled by you, while our ribbons are made from wood pulp cellulose rather than satin, making them a much more environmentally friendly and sustainable choice. Our jewellery is not simply beautifully packaged, but most importantly sustainably packaged. Along with using recyclable packaging, we want to keep a carbon neutral footprint. That’s why when it comes to transport we (as well as our suppliers) mostly travel by bicycle and on the rare occasion we need to use a vehicle we use an electric one.
We also produce high quality sterling silver jewellery that’s designed to last! We make it as affordable as possible to ensure our workers are paid fairly and our customers are satisfied with their pieces for years to come.
When we started our business, we wanted to bring an ethical and sustainable jewellery brand to the UK, which provides beautiful, high quality sterling silver jewellery at affordable prices. It mattered that our brand reflects our personal ethos when it comes to human rights, ethical consumption and sustainability.
Jewellery is a declaration of who we are, as well as an expression of love and care towards those we gift it to. We want to make sure Mon Bijoux jewellery is a not only a declaration of visual beauty, but also an ethical statement for anyone who wears it. You can browse our collection of affordable, high quality ethical silver jewellery here, or check out our popular lockets collection as well as our various sized bangles, perfect for small and larger wrists. Make your own ethical statement with Mon Bijoux.