Sustainable Luxury and Jewelry

The concept of ethical jewellery today includes certified Fair mined gold as well as conflict-free and ethically mined diamonds; consumption of such products is soaring in tandem with evolving consumer interest in ethical labour practices and sustainability. While previous studies investigate ethical jewellery consumption, the literature is silent on such consumption by Italian consumers. We aim to close this gap through a case history of Italy’s first and currently most popular ethical jewellery store, Gioielleria (Jewellery) Belloni in Milan. Through ethnographic interviews with the owner and a representative sample of his clientele, we illuminate an ethical jeweller’s practices and values, contextualized in the socio-cultural traditions unique to Italy. We further examine how Italian ethical consumers interpret Canadian ethical diamonds and certified Fair mined gold during their purchasing experiences, vis-à-vis their perceptions of the Made in Italy brand. We employ the ethnopragmatic theory [23] and the concept of territorialization [19] in our conceptual framework.

The ways in which the luxury brand and designer craftsmen and women approach the design process could not be more different. The former is led by economics, vertical integration, mass production and global markets. Luxury brands manufacture millions of pieces of jewellery each season to ensure the fashion system is fully operational and profitable. The latter is led by an intrinsic understanding and interpretation of the world around them, their concern for the environment, the origin of their raw materials and the most appropriate integration of new technologies to enhance their product offer. Theo Fennell, Ute Decker and Mark Bloomfield are three London jewellers who approach design and making in two distinctively different ways. Fennell works predominantly in precious metals and stones, Bloomfield is a world leader in 3D printing and Decker works in sustainable materials. This chapter explores their shared understanding of materials and how they are used, the impact they have on the environment and a deliberate attempt to reduce waste, adopt sustainable practices and enhance the customer experience through hands-on engagement with their products.

Jacques Cartier made his first visit to India in 1911 and developed contact with the many “maharajas” from Kapurthala to Mysore. Most well known of his commissions was the “Patiala Necklace” made for the Maharaja of Patiala with over 2900 diamonds. Inspired by the viewing of the private “Al Thani Collection” of over 250 exquisite pieces from the Indian subcontinent, we questioned if there was a connection between the rich tradition of handmade luxury jewellery and sustainability in India, and is it possible to revive and restore the diversity and richness of handmade jewellery, whilst preserving and sustaining the “artisan”. Our research focussed on the launch and commercial success of “Sabyasachi Jewellery” as an independent voice that brought the craftsman centrestage. Our aim was to discover if it is possible to create an ideal balance between commercial success and sustainability of the craftsperson. Our primary method was desk research as well as interviews with customers and independent craftspersons across the jewellery industry in India. We discovered not only the possibility to find this ideal balance between craft and commercial success but a resurgence of customer acceptance and focus towards handmade jewellery.

This chapter traces the origin of pearls and seashells as underwater luxury goods from a global-historical and marine-cultural perspective within the sustainability debate. It illuminates the luxury of the hidden sea gems, its natural and imitation items, refers to writings concerning jewellery ethnography and discusses the impact of the connections between the pearl, fashion and tourism industries in Western Australia. Contributing to creating Broome’s viable marine-culture, it analyses the popularity of the Australian pearl and pearl shell overseas as well as relooking at the jewellery traders who introduced the luxury of the indigenous “ritual good” to an international market in the context of “sustainable luxury”. The chapter concentrates on the display of the Western Australian indigenous commodity in newspapers and magazines from the 1930s to the 1960s. Suggesting how the indigenous integration of seashell luxury emerged in Australia’s Northwest, the town of Broome impacted the multicultural pearling industry not only through jewellery, but also by providing an alternative solution for pearl fishery farms. The viability of the pearl industry demonstrates how the natural jewel has contributed to the meaning of sustainable luxury, transforming how to measure coastal remnants in the Kimberley region. Broome’s marine culture developed a form of Australian pearlescence as a sustainable luxury, with Paspaley and Kailis jewellery injected with authenticity, reliability and organic substance.

Pearls... Long before Fitzgerald’s symbolism, Pearls have been building one of the most inspiring treasures, and one of the very first money. Our friends, William de Marsangy and Trésor Noir, the iconic jewellers from Mauritius, are redefining the core activity and meanings of this incredible überluxury handcraftsmanship.

From history to sales, this luxury heaven might be considered one of the best-preserved and protected niche markets. William has been teaching all of us many of his hidden secrets, sharing history in the various pearls production regions of the world, highlighting the transition from fishing to culture, the particularities of their trade and their socio-economic importance. Symbols are everlasting and sustainability is obvious everywhere.

In addition to the commercial aspect, this chapter will be dealing with the sustainable biological, geographical, economic, social and cultural aspects of the world’s pearl history over the past.

In the past, designers and artisans had changed and improved the way people live; these days they are recycling trends with little creativity and imagination (Edelkoort 2016). In this paper, I would like to claim that designers should use technological achievements with much awareness and consciousness for the surrounding in order to influence the future for the better. Observing the ever-decreasing prices of apparel items leads one to ponder, how could it be that such prices are tenable? The linear production known from the industrial revolution must change. In the last decades, the fashion industry became more aware of the damages caused as a result of exploitative production, and increasingly more certifications and governmental regulations are used. Unfortunately, this is not the case with the jewelry industry, which has yet to initiate reform. A new set of jewelry criteria, laws, and certifications are in need as their current absence. As a Master’s graduate for sustainability in fashion and design, I was in the midst of my research on the jewelry industry, trying to understand and decipher the complex supply chain of practices and processes—from material to making and beyond. The raw materials (precious metals and stones)—where are they sourced? Who is mining them and in which conditions?  Which additional materials are being used? What kind of processes being made? What are the outputs and impacts of these processes? Finalizing the materials, preparing them for production—which chemicals are used? What are the impacts on the environment, the workers, and the communities that surround these sites? What changes could be made in order to minimize these effects? Designing and making the products from handmade to 3D printing—which production methods are more efficient? What are the outputs of each technology? What are the impacts of recycling the materials? Could recycling become on a large scale creating a more circular economy? Following the issues above, I used several research methods: in-depth interviews with knowledgeable experts, designers, production employees, and material suppliers, content analysis of international and private-written reports, advertisement content analysis, and implementing these questions on my own M.A. final project products. Based on the gathered knowledge and information in this research, I propose a methodology through which brands and designers could examine sustainable, traceable, and circular practices, and how to implement them. Since many designers and product developers are not even exposed to issues like sustainability as part of their training, these aspects could not be taken into account while planning these products. On the other hand, 80% of the environmental impact of a product is decided on the designer table and this is the main purpose of this methodology. Accumulating this database accessible to the industry helps to achieve this ethical shift, hopefully creating a strong connection between all the links in the luxury jewelry supply chain to achieve a sustainable, traceable, and circular industry.

Tanzanite, a unique gemstone that can only be found in Tanzania under difficult and rough conditions, is actually increasing in fame due to its scarcity and its deep vivid blue color. However, for every newly founded gemstone, concerns are arising toward the sustainability of its supply chain process. Discovered in 1967 by a Maasaï tribesman, the tanzanite gemstone faced several challenging times and thus making unstable its presence on the jewelry market in the last 20 years. But actually, what do we know about tanzanite except that it’s coming from Tanzania? This study aims to examine the global climate of a tanzanite mining environment, understand areas that lack development and see how Tanzania is strategically repositioning tanzanite into the economy of the country in a sustainable way. The objective is to demonstrate that Tanzania is a resourceful country in terms of culture and history. This African nation should be known as a country that is able to manage efficiently and respectfully the process of mining and trading tanzanite to enforce its local development. Starting from the global context of tanzanite mining, its history, and background, this study keeps on analyzing the structure of stone distribution. It furthermore showcases the different improvements that have been made to increase the safety of miners as much as the transparency of the tanzanite market and provide work opportunities for Tanzanian inhabitants. Finally, by providing a global understanding of the current situation of the tanzanite business, this research presents foresight to improve the future of tanzanite trade and establish efficient strategies to secure the market. The results of this research highlight the strong importance of culture and local communities in the tanzanite mining industry which created disputes between small-scale and large-scale mining industries. From the beginning of tanzanite mining, multinationals and foreign countries were leading the Tanzanian market of gemstones. Tanzania’s future horizon is now building on partnership and fair deals to clarify the tanzanite trade, thus reducing violence. The challenge was to redirect the wealth from abroad into Tanzania broader. To this fact, the Tanzanian government puts in place taxation programs for unpolished stones to enhance the local development of cutting skills. In partnership with associations, NGOs, and the main mining companies, they provide educational support for locals to develop the required skills and to allow people accessing properly into the tanzanite business. The results show that the tanzanite mining environment changed significantly since its discovery. Future perspectives for tanzanite are arising due to its growing interest in jewelry from other countries. The development of new technologies such as blockchain might help to secure miners and make tanzanite pathways more transparent. The respect of traditions and cultural heritages of Tanzania is very important to improve the stability of the market and benefit every stakeholder. Following these assumptions, the Tanzanian economy has a bright future ahead if the government will still invest into the management and control of the tanzanite business. Taking Botswana as a reference for their economic growth boosted by the diamonds industry, Tanzania could apply the same approach with the unique and fascinating tanzanite.

The jewelry designer working within the luxury sector can be found in a variety of work environments. Within each of these contexts, ranging from the small private enterprise to the global luxury conglomerate, he or she will possess differing levels of control over and engagement in the creative process, design and making of jewelry as well as its promotion and sale. Jewelry designers who can be considered craftspersons/artisans and who may also be referred to as a designer maker may be found in all of these settings. Within the major luxury brands, only a few jewelry designers who work at the top level will have the autonomy to practice their craft in its entirety. The craftsperson represents the most deeply engaged category while at the other end of the spectrum, we find those who are involved in some but not all aspects of jewelry design. Many are subject to the logic of mass production which deskills jewelers and parcels out various functions to a variety of technicians in the interest of efficiency, scale and profit. A view of the work done by those engaged in jewelry design illustrates varying levels of skill, imagination, material consciousness and agency—or lack thereof when we consider contexts in which one’s professional identity is compromised.

Over the years, the diamond industry has been marked by hotly debated scandals concerning the exploitative conditions afflicting the countries where diamonds were mined and extracted. Despite the establishment of formal certifications (e.g. the Kimberley Process), nowadays the diamond supply chain is still not completely devoid of ambiguities. Therefore, this research focuses on a new sustainable alternative: the lab-created diamond. The technology behind this man-made stone allows companies to obtain diamonds with the same physical, chemical and aesthetical properties of mined diamonds. In particular, we investigated how certain attributes specific to diamonds (namely perceived scarcity and authenticity) are perceived by consumers. We explored if the diamond typology presented (mined or lab-created) could affect respondents’ perceived product authenticity by considering the potential moderating effect exerted by perceived product scarcity. Eventually, the diamond typology did not have any statistically significant effect on the level of perceived authenticity by itself while perceived scarcity played a crucial role in the relationship between mined diamonds and authenticity. When respondents sensed higher levels of perceived scarcity, mined diamonds were perceived as more authentic compared to lab-created diamonds. Therefore, we could affirm both the actual presence of a moderating effect exerted by scarcity and its pivotal involvement in decreeing mined diamonds as more authentic. Managers aiming at differencing these two typologies of diamonds could, therefore, emphasize perceived scarcity in their marketing and advertising campaigns.

Globally, there is high pressure concerning sustainability. This requires designers, manufacturers, distributors, and consumers to have obligations of looking at sustainability tenets: social (people), economic (profit) and environment (planet). Researchers have been exploring economic and environmental issues in several sectors. It is the sustainability age where people must now look at contemporary issues in the manufacturing (production) processes of luxury goods. One of the critical problems in today’s supply chain of industrial luxury products is modern slavery issues (MSIs) (or neo-slavery or contemporary slavery). MSIs mostly refer to slavery that continues to occur in private individuals, groups, institutions, organisations, companies, on engaging child labour, human trafficking, forced labour, long working hours, among other forms, in manufacturing products. This study focuses on Africa regarding manufacturing and retailing of luxury products. Africa is focused because the 2018 Global Slavery Index ranked Africa number one concerning MSIs; several African countries produce precious (valuable) metals; and, many African societies cannot notice much about how critical the MSIs are. The production processes and other sustainability issues were thus explored. The findings suggest the need for Africa to strengthen consolidative interventions to fight the diverse environment that results in MSIs.

Lab-grown diamond: such a mysterious description embodied in the association of one of the most famous gemstones on earth with the technical know-how that scientists developed through years of research. Mostly known for being one of the precious gifts to offer for a significant event such as engagement and wedding, diamonds continued to spread its admiration for the dazzling effect which convinced more than one couple. Since the luxury industry is migrating towards a more conscious way of manufacturing products and consumers are thriving towards ethical consumption and bold products, lab-grown diamond is gaining in popularity against the bleak stories of the mined ones. Keeping this epigram in spotlight, this article provides the complete view of how the industry is going to adapt to this new revolution. Lab-grown diamonds are diamonds that have been processed in laboratories thanks to almost 70 years of development. To test the idea that this new alternative is a legitimate opportunity to answer the need of the current changing jewelry market, this research tried to observe the real potential of this man-made gemstone through a deep understanding of its hallmark, perception of the market and concrete sustainable solutions available. As a result, it is observed that a certain interest in finding a new alternative with the same attributes to reassure all parties. What defines a gemstone is simply the association between its chemical composition and crystal structure. To this fact it created two sided views for which there is no right or wrong position but simply a question of brand positioning. New generations of consumers increasingly recognized the importance of ethical consumption of a luxury product. Bitter lines in the news, child labor and conflicts such as “Blood diamonds” created an uncertain environment in which the new generation Gen Z, nowadays does not feel comfortable to buy unconsciously. Again, pros and cons are rising over laboratory grown diamonds concerning its real repercussion on the environment. Facts are here to prove that this alternative is a relevant approach to the current luxury industry: providing high clarity and colorless gemstone, controlled production quantities, improved traceability issues, changes in price range. Luxury brands should keep educating its audience by disclosing clearly the differences between mined and lab-grown diamonds and use this increasing awareness to promote new responsible jewelry collection that relate to today’s society needs.