Jewelry tends to be something really personal. It has a meaning to use. Our favorite jewelry holds a memory or a feeling simply because of the person who gave it to use or the event it symbolizes.
But what if the jewelry we wear every day actually had a deeper meaning? Or even changed someone’s life? You can actually make a conscious choice to support ethical jewelry brands that are doing so much in this industry for people all around the world.
15 Truly Ethical Jewelry brands
In this guide, you will find some of the most amazing ethical jewelry brands that are being innovative in areas such as working conditions, design, and craft. Each brand creates beautiful, unique, and timeless pieces you will treasure for years.
You can never get too much sparkle. So add a little extra frosting to your life while making a conscious choice to wear something that matters.
ABLE
From: The USA
Ethics: Handmade in Nashville, Tennesse
Why we love them:
Able creates simplistic, ethical handmade jewelry at a budget-friendly price level. All the jewelry is handmade in Nashville, Tennesse, and it sources its material from U.S-based vendors, who all have high sustainable and ethical standards. All the “left-over” metal from the production is reused in production and made into new pieces.
The goal behind the brand is to create sustainable opportunities for women. This is a goal they have been achieving from the very beginning. The brand employs and empowers women in an attempt to end poverty. That is also why 95% of ABLE’s staff is women. This brand is definitely a top-shelf brand if you are looking for minimalistic ethical jewelry with a touch.
Nisolo
From: Peru
Ethics: Ensures living wages. Certificated B corporation.
Why we love them:
Maybe you have heard of Nisolo before. However, if you are thinking it definitely wasn’t in relation to ethical jewelry you are right. Because even though making unique, yet timeless ethical jewelry is something Nisolo induce to seem effortless, the brand’s area of expertise is shoes. But as you can see, that brand is also an expert in making really fine sustainable jewelry in a design everyone would want to wear.
Every piece of accessory is produced in their own factory in Peru or their partner factory in Mexico and every purchase provides a living wage to one of the workers in the factories. The brand has been featured in everything from Vogue to CNN as one of the ethical accessory brands of the century. To quote Vogue: Sustainable, ethical accessories that are actually chic.
Soko
From: The USA
Ethics: Empowering women, Certified B Corporation
Why we love them:
This women-led ethical jewelry brand is empowering women by building platforms where Kenyan artisans can connect with the global market. This way marginalized Kenyans can sell directly to the global market without going through factories and fair wages and working conditions are ensured.
Soko sells jewelry that matters and has a strong message. This also manifests in the powerful and bold design of ethical jewelry. Every piece of jewelry is unique and innovative. These amazing artisans are creating out of the box ethical jewelry you will keep on your jewelry box and cherish forever.
Mayamiko
From: Malawi
Ethics: Empowering women
Why we love them:
This women-led brand creates ethical jewelry that isn’t designed for a season or a trend. These sustainable jewelry are designed to empower and inspire the global woman. Using traditional techniques handpicked artisans from all across the globe design and craft beautiful, one-of-a-kind ethical jewelry to Mayamiko.
The brand has been recognized multiple times for its uncompromising commitment to sustainability and high labor standards. Mayamiko has been featured in everything from ELLE and marie claire to the Guardian and Vogue. The brand has been rewarded multiple sustainability prices and is definitely between the absolutely most ethical jewelry brands out there.
Starfish Project
From: Multiple countries all over Asia
Ethics: Help women escape exploitation.
Why we love them:
Starfish Project is made by women who escaped exploitation. Today the people behind help women and young girls escape exploitation, create freedom, establish independence and create a career. The starfish project seeks to help women build another future, but it is especially focused on helping women escape the sex industry.
Within the Starfish project, women and girls are able to join a capacity building program and are being helped to develop an independent career. The ethical jewelry brand is a member of the Fair Trade Federation and a founding member of the Freedom Business Alliance. Its jewelry is fashionable yet very personal and you can tell there is an amazing story behind each piece.
Mejuri
From: Canada
Ethics: Empower women
Why we love them:
Mejuri wants you to forget the idea that there needs to be an occassion for fine jewelry. they want you to glam it up every day. “Well, that is easy to say, but fine jewelry is way too expensive” you might say. But this is where Mejuri want to prove you wrong. It wants to make luxury jewelry available to everyone, and the breathtaking design is increadibly budget frienldy.
By cutting down the earnings you can get its handmade, ethical jewelry at a very budget-friendly level. Because the future shouldn’t be bright. It should be golden. It should be filled with equality, inclusion, and not least sustainability. The ethical jewelry brand is also set up to empower women with its higher education program. The goal is to empower the next generation of women to take leadership.
Accompany
From: The USA
Ethics: Employees local craftsmen around the world for fair wages and working conditions, Fair Trade
Why we love them:
Each and every piece of ethical jewelry you find between Accompany’s selection is carefully picked and has a truly special story behind them. Each necklace, earring, or bracelet is handmade and ethically sourced and connects fashion and human impact on the most loving and stylish way.
Accompany employees local artisans in small communities in developing countries in order to make a truly sustainable impact in the small communities. With more local industry the local communities can thrive economically. This also have an impact on the design of the sustainable jewelry, which tend to be one-of-a-kind and limited edition. However, that only makes these pieces of jewelry even more speciel if you aks me.
Oddish
From: Australia
Ethics: Empower women
Why we love them:
Oddish aims to do something that deviates from the norm. This is even expressed in the brand name, which also means “differing from what is expected”. The story of a piece of Oddish jewelry is the story of a woman. A sister, a mother, a daughter leading her own personal rebellion. Raising her voice for what she believes in and for herself.
Each piece connects the wearer with the maker and connects women all around the world. Every piece of ethical jewelry is handmade in Australia using traditional slow practices. Everything Oddish makes is created with a purpose from the pick of materials to the packaging. Their simplistic and empowering jewelry is perfect for both everyday wear and for dressing up.
Emma Aitchison
From: The UK
Ethics: Handmade, made-to-order
Why we love them:
Handmade, made to order, using 100% renewable metals, unique design. It isn’t difficult to come up with praising words when talking about Emme Aitchison’s ethical jewelry. The brand even encourages all of us to united and create a more ethical and sustainable future for the fashion and accessory industry, because they know they can’t do it alone.
The edgy design is playing with shapes and sizes, and all pieces are made in-house, in order to ensure high quality, best working conditions, and best design. The brand also has a high proportion of made-to-order jewelry designs in order to minimize overproduction and energy use.
Akola
From: Uganda
Ethics: Empower women, code of conduct through the whole supply chain
Why we love them:
Creating ethical jewelry to uplift and connect women around the world. That is the mission of Akola. If you are wondering whether or not the name Akola has a deeper meaning you are on to something. The name means “she works” in a local Ugandan dialect and refers to the vertically-integrated manufacturing behind the jewelry production which employs women in Uganda under fair working conditions.
It is actually because of all these Ugandan women Aloka is here. Because the brand believes in all the powerful women living in the margin. Because they want to create a workspace where these women can show off their amazing craft and design skills and actually get paid a fair living wage for it.
Studio Jux
From: Netherlands
Ethics: Women empowerment
Why we love them:
Truly ethical jewelry on a budget is something Studio Jux master to perfection. That and of course cool, minimalistic design with a different touch. The brand wants to design ethical jewelry that inspires the world to do good and leave a better world behind. But the brand is much more than serious goals. It is also about having fun and enjoying dressing up.
Jux actually translates directly into ‘fun’ or ‘having a laugh’ in German. the brand wants you to enjoy life, and enjoy the things you wear. Also the extra bit of glam you add to your daily life with your jewelry. All their cool jewelry is made in their factory in Nepal, where all workers are treated fairly and are paid a living wage.
Catbird
From: The USA
Ethics: Handmade, fair working conditions and living wages
Why we love them:
Bling in a classy way. That is what Catbird brings to the table. If you need to add a little extra sustainable glitter to your life catbird is your brand. All the pieces are made in the brand’s studio in New York in the same building as the headquarter. The people behind are very close and work really close together, and this feeling of connectedness and community is also what they want you to feel when wearing the amazing jewelry.
Glittery stone, shiny pearls, glowy gold, and bright colors are what characterizes Catbird’s core designs. The designs make you feel happy on even the rainiest days. Wearing catbird’s ethical jewelry feels like taking a sip of ice-cold lemonade on a warm summer day. Refreshing and satisfying.
Quazi Design
From: Southern Africa
Ethics: Empowering women
Why we love them:
Born out of a need for more and better job opportunities in Eswatini in Southern Africa the brand started as an attempt to create social impact is now a small business with a small community of local women artisans. All the ethical jewelry is handmade by these women who are permanently working in the business.
The brand is constantly working on developing new and innovative techniques always trying to find new ways to use recycled materials. As long as it is possible the materials used are locally sourced and eco-friendly. All the colorful designs and fun, innovative shapes are everything you need to get through a grey day.
31 bits
From: Uganda & The USA
Ethics: Holistic development program for workers. Women Empowerment
Why we love them:
What started as curiosity and a passion for five college students back in 2008 is know one of the biggest ethical jewelry brands. 31 bits has been featured in Forbes, Harpers Bazar and Elle. The girls behind where some of the first movers in the industry of truly ethical jewelry. Today they keep expanding this unique way of creating jewelry and connect and empower people around the world.
The project started in Uganda, where the girls realized there was an amount of young women, with incredible artisan skills, but no education and no where to use these impressive skills. So they create a platform where these women could design jewelry while getting and education and creating their own business. Today, 31 bits is about so much more than jewelry. It is about respect, love and family.
Futura Jewelry
From: The USA
Ethics:
Why we love them:
If luxury is what you are looking for then you should take a closer look at Futura Jewelry. The jewelry is handcrafted in New York and the brand is only crafting jewelry with Fairmined Certified Ecological 18kt gold. This is rare. Like really rare. 99% of the world’s gold is currently produced by emitting toxic chemicals into the environment. This has been described as a world wide crises, and Futura Jewelry wont be part of that statistics.
Using the world’s finest gold, the brand design and craft ethical jewelry in collaboration with some of the world’s most notable jewelry historians. But Futura Jewelry does not only care about the people making the jewelry. The ones sourcing the raw material are even more important. The brand is then identifying local gold mining communities across the globe to see who needs immediate help with environmental clean-up, education, and finance.
Shop the jewelry here
Love,
Anna
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