Get your signet rings, contemporary coin necklaces and a ‘pearl’ earring that made with the precious metal from Released From Love.
Released From Love was founded by married couple Hannah Roche and LD Malone last year, on their first wedding anniversary. From their Paddington home studio in Sydney, they design the everyday jewellery with recycled solid sterling silver and 23-carat gold vermeil (gilded silver). Other than the awesome ethical benefits this bring, it also helps keep the price down.
“We love working with gold vermeil [rather than] gold plating because the layer of gold is much thicker, which means it will last longer,” Roche told Broadsheet.
The duo straddle the line between traditional and contemporary. As they use local goldsmiths and silversmiths to create parts with modern technique (such as 3D printing for mould making). They take their jewellery in an organic shape, from chunky signet rings with bubbling details to a class hoop earring with uneven edges that resemble melted tin.
Furthermore, the cast pearls and horseshoe series are also their sustainable collection. The collection calls for action to foster change towards greater ecological integrity and social justice. Including the unethical pearl farming and mistreatment of thoroughbred horses in Australia.
“Instead of using the pearls themselves, we [cast] recycled precious metals [in their shape] as a statement against unethical pearl farming, which is rampant within the fast-fashion industry,” she said.
Sustainable jewellery
When we talk about sustainable fashion, there’s a lot of conversation about clothing, but jewellery is often left out. There is a type of culture that the fast fashion industry brings up, in that it encourages people to repeatedly buy poorly made ‘trendy’ jewellery. This jewellery are easily thrown out after a few wears due to their poorly made stature, wasting resources and exposing toxic materials along the way.
Thankfully, the increasing global focus on sustainability in the fashion industry also raising attention about jewellery. There are more questions on environmental impacts and ethics that we adorn ourselves with. A piece of sustainable jewellery is not just about using recycled metals of ethically sourcing gemstones for production. The sustainability effort goes beyond that to include the practice of supporting local communities where the pieces made from. This offers transparency and tracing, also a passion to maintain local jobs and skills.
Whether you are looking for the next gift for yourself or your loved one, why not give a go to support sustainable jewellery and ethical practices that offer beautiful jewellery without the sacrifice of your ethical values.
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