Just as seen on Lady Gaga- to the Lebanese Nawbar’s sisters’ modern take on their family’s gold business, here are four ethical jewelry brands to buy.
When it comes to getting gifts, jewelry is always on top of the list. And as the conversation around sustaining fashion gets more rampant, the focus is starting to shift away from the usual machine-made, mass produced pieces. Jewelry designers like Lilian Trap are finding ways to do more than just accessorise. She’s among a band of small international jewelers that are that are raising the bar with ethically sourced gold, traceable diamonds, local artistes and female employment collect6ives.
We present you six jewelry brands that are creating their own unique part in the industry.
L’atelier Nawbar
Lebanese sisters Dima and Tania Nawbar are fourth generation jewelers. Their family’s Beirut-based business was founded by their great-great-grandfather in a gold souk in 1881. Establishing their brand L’atelier Nawbar, in 2011, the sisters have modernised designs with symbolic rings and Petit Bling
and in policy – increasing the company’s female quota to equal that of the male, and training socially disadvantaged and displaced women in handmade techniques, such as intricate beading and stone carving.
Wald Berlin
Featuring seashells, freshwater pearls and swarovski crystals, each piece is handmade by Wald Berlin’s “fair trade mums collective” a group of unemployed mothers and grandmothers, many of whom live in small villages in Germany where jobs are scarce.
Ana Khouri
Brazilian designer Ana Khouri reached fever pitch when Lady Gaga wore a pair of her earrings on the October 2018 cover of American Vogue.New York-based Khouri – who trained in sculpture in Sao Paulo, before studying at the Gemological Institute of America and Parsons School of Design – works exclusively with fair-mined 18-carat gold and platinum, traceable diamonds and gemstones from Zambia. Winning the Andam Fashion Accessories Prize in 2017, four years after setting up her eponymous label, friends of the brand now include Claire Foy, Charlize Theron and Alicia Vikander.
Melissa Joy Manning
Beyond using sustainable materials- including recycled silver and 14-carat gold, and responsibly-sourced stones- her studios are totally green:using recycled paper, soy ink and energy-efficient heating and cooling processes. They also have a zero-waste policy and carbon offset each shipment.