Silver; can it ever become an ethical metal?

There is plenty of information around about how gold and diamonds can be ethical. In recent years the term “blood diamonds” has become a household phrase and this year “Fairtrade” and “Fairmined gold” has joined it. But what is it that makes gold and diamonds ethical? And can we ever expect to see silver join this very exclusive group?

Silver

The jewellery industry is well known as a destructive, dirty business which uses a massive percentage of the world’s energy and is one of the largest employers but still pollutes, kills and maims the environment and peoples involved.

Both diamonds and gold have been able to make steps towards becoming ethical due to two main points:

Third party certification has been established to police the processes involved in mining and refining the materials and the checking the supply chain from earth to product. This is the Kimberley Process for diamonds and the Association for Responsible Mining combined with the Fairtrade Labelling Organisation for Fairtrade and Fairmined gold.

These materials are highly priced meaning that those who can afford to use the material are already spending a lot of money. Any additional Fairtrade premiums added onto this can be passed onto the consumer quite easily as products which contain gold and diamonds will already have a high price.

Silver prices have been relatively low in recent years meaning that additional premiums on top may discourage use of the material. However, over the past few months, the price of silver has also been rising making it a much more costly product than the same time last year. Perhaps this increased price may make silver as an ethical material more possible.

Silver is not mined on its own. Generally, silver is mined as a by-product of copper, gold and zinc mines. It was estimated in 2008 that only 30% of silver is mined from silver specific mines. As well as this, silver is not used with the same exclusivity as gold is within the jewellery industry. It is estimated that 80% of all gold mined ends up being used to produce jewellery. Compared to this, silver is used in industrial, medical and technological fields. Only 25% of silver is used for jewellery and silverware.

These two things combined mean that there is not the same amount of money put into silver as gold and diamonds making it less likely for the amount of time and money required to source materials more ethically to be put in.

Currently recycled silver is the most ethical source of silver and this is currently what Opulent Ethics use but we are hoping that this may change in time. Once it has been proved that gold can be mined in less harmful and more sustainable ways then, hopefully, this will percolate down to mining other materials including silver.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed for these developments soon.

That’s all for now….

Opulent Ethics starts a new glittering gold journey

It will be a short entry today.

Opulent Ethics are just starting out on our journey to become a license holder for Fair Trade gold. We are currently unsure of the processes involved in gaining the Fairtrade and Fairmined gold license and how long it will take.

We will, however, let you know as we go along what we have to do and how we are getting on so that anyone else who is considering becoming a license holder may have an idea of what to do.

So far we have registered our interest in becoming a license holder by downloading and completing the Business Overview Questionnaire on the Fairtrade Foundation’s website.

We will post updates on what and when we have to do things as they happen.

That’s all for now….   

A new technique for Opulent Ethics; wire erosion

In our last post we talked about our latest design inspiration for Opulent Ethics. We are currently designing and deliberating how to produce a range of pomanders. As part of this we have considered a range of techniques for producing various parts of the pomanders and we have decided upon a technique that Opulent Ethics have never used before; wire erosion.

We are looking to cut plates of silver into the exact same shape multiple times and after much research we have come to the conclusion that wire erosion is the way forward.

The process involves holding the material to be cut on a bed whilst a 0.3mm wire saw blade passes from top to bottom through the material cutting the required pattern. It works in a similar way to a cheese board and wire.

The thickness of the materials to be cut can vary massively which is a welcome change to laser cutting which, in Birmingham, is limited to 0.7mm in thickness. Also, materials can be stacked so you can cut the same shape on multiple pieces of material all at the same time.

The drawback with wire erosion is that holes need to be cut into the material to allow the wire to pass through. If not placed well this could alter the outcome of the design. Luckily, the company we have chosen to use, RF Bevan, are excellent at what they do and very helpful in tailoring your designs so that they work as efficiently as possible.

Our designs will be cut from 100% recycled UK silver and will be sent to RF Bevan next week when our materials arrive. But, in the meantime, we wanted to show some examples of wire erosion in use in order to demonstrate how precise and effective the process is.

Emily Richard has used wire erosion throughout her Torus range of jewellery to fantastic effect. This range, and others that Emily does, cuts slice forms using wire erosion before fitting them together in a range of designs. The outcome is a range of clean, precise, beautiful jewellery which is different to anything we have seen before.

Emily Richard Torus pendant 

 Emily Richard Segment pendant

Another jewellery designer and maker to use the technique is Kirsty Davies. Parts of her asymmetric Precious Pieces range was also cut by RF Bevan and the outcome is a playful but simple range of beautiful jewellery.

Kirsty Davies Precious Pieces pendant

Opulent Ethics is hoping that the outcome of our first foray into wire erosion is as successful and beautiful as Emily and Kirsty’s.

That’s all for now….  

Opulent Ethics are sniffing out a new range

Opulent Ethics have started work on their most luxury range of ethical jewellery to date. The, as yet unnamed, range is inspired by pomanders and precious materials.

Last summer Opulent Ethics visited the Victoria and Albert Museum in London where we saw and fell in love with their range of pomanders. Since then we have been waiting for the right time to explore these amazing items further and develop an Opulent Ethics design.

Victoria & Albert Museum pomander

The pomander was most common during the 15^th and 16^th centuries. They are spheres made up of 6 segments, each of which opens. Inside each segment the wearer would store a different smelling item such as cloves, rose, sandalwood, nutmeg, scented oils and animal unguents. Their purpose was to protect the wearer against bad smells, which it was believed, caused disease and illness.

Pomanders are very decorative and were made up using complex hinges, exquisite materials and multiple artisanal processes. The outcome is beautiful, complicated pieces of heavy functional jewellery.

Whilst these original pomanders are motivating our designs, Opulent Ethics are looking to produce a range of more contemporary pomanders. Instead of being used to hold scent, our pomanders will be used to challenge the idea of preciouness by being made from ethically precious metals and by storing alternative precious materials.

Opulent Ethics is still at the design stage at the moment but check back soon for updates on how we are getting on.

That’s all for now….

Our thoughts are with all those affected by the recent Japanese disaster

This is a bit of a different blog post….not about our normal topics.

Last year before we started, Helen, the founder of Opulent Ethics designed and made a bowl inspired by her trip to Hiroshima in Japan. After the nuclear bombing in the Hiroshima prefecture a museum was opened to tell the story of the event and what happened to the city and its people afterwards. It is the most well curated museum as it works towards ensuring that the same thing never happens again.

In one section of the museum are all the letters that various mayors of Hiroshima have written to other world leaders every time their country has taken part in nuclear testing.

The most resonating story that Helen took away with her was that of Sadako Sasaki a girl who was only two years old when the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. A few years later she became ill from exposure to the radiation and was diagnosed with leukaemia.

A school friend of Sadako told her that if she folded 1000 paper cranes using Japanese origami, then she would be granted a wish and could be cured. Sadako only made it to 644 before she died. Her school friends finished the 1000 and took them to her funeral.

In modern day Japan, the crane is now the symbol of peace and all Japanese school children visit the museum in Hiroshima, taking paper cranes with them to leave as a sign of respect for those affected and to ensure that they are not forgotten.

Peace bowl

The peace bowl made by Helen took inspiration from this story and developed it into a more literal interpretation. Opulent Ethics hopes that in light of what has happened in Japan over the past few days then the Peace Bowl may be a symbol of hope for those people who have been affected by this most recent natural and nuclear tragedy.

That’s all for now….

Fairtrade fortnight festivities!

The last couple of weeks has been the annual Fairtrade Fortnight; a two week homage to all things Fairtrade. You may have been to one of the craft fairs which have been taking place or noticed that Fairtrade events have been plastered all over Facebook and Twitter. Whatever you have bought, seen or done over the past two weeks they all make a difference.

Fairtrade Fortnight 2011 poster

According to recent research undertaken by the Fairtrade Foundation, awareness of Fairtrade Fortnight this year was up by 10 million people since Fairtrade Fortnight 2010. That is a massive increase. Opulent Ethics hopes it keeps going.

If you have been on the Fairtrade Foundation website you will have noticed the massive amount of work that they have put into the event; encouraging Fairtrade towns, schools and church groups to take part, offering awards for those supporters who have really bent over backwards to raise awareness and even setting daily challenges on Facebook and Twitter to get you involved.

Of course, Fairtrade has already had an enormous impact on the jewellery industry so far this year with the release of Fairtrade and Fairmined gold on Valentines Day. This was then followed by the announcement that the wedding rings worn by Prince William and Kate Middleton may be Fairtrade. You can be just like Opulent Ethics and sign the GoPetition petition to convince the royal couple that their rings will be more beautiful if they use Fairtrade gold. And then there was Livia Firth wearing Fairtrade gold and a dress made of 11 other dresses on the Oscars Red Carpet. Busy busy busy!

Livia Firth wearing Anna Loucah's Fairtrade gold ring for the 2011 Oscars

And why is this of so much importance? Well, according to the Fairtrade Foundation there are 7.5 million people who work under Fairtrade principles to improve their lifestyles and communities and it is events like those taking place during Fairtrade Fortnight which are needed to continue raising awareness and increasing the numbers of people and communities that Fairtrade can reach out to.

With Fairtrade profits and participants rising year on year 2011 is going to be another exciting and busy year for all those who are involved. So well done to all who took part and keep up the hard work!

That’s all for now….

Opulent Ethics pendant wins second place in Charles Green competition

The School of Jewellery in Birmingham held a prize giving event last night to reveal the winners of the annual Charles Green / DFI competition. Now in its third year, the competition is held by Charles Green, a family run business in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, and entered by the School of Jewellery’s BA Design for Industry (DFI) students.

Competition entrants were given either 1 or 2 stones by Charles Green and the brief was to design and make a silver pendant or earrings using Computer Aided Design (CAD) technology.

There were 4 winners from the 18 entrants; Annie Li took first prize with her silver and gold plated Lotus pendant. She wins work experience with Charles Green as well as a monetary prize.

  

Opulent Ethics founder, Helen Dobson took second prize with her partly-oxidised (using boiled eggs), 100% recycled UK silver and Peridot Nepenthes pendant.

 

Opulent Ethics' Nepenthes Pendant

Third prize went to Sophie Waters for her pendant and an additional fourth prize went to Amy Roberts for the excellent marketing she did for her Giggle pendant.     

All pieces were also on sale during the event which was open to industry members and saw a presence from numerous Birmingham Jewellery Quarter companies including the Assay Office, the Jewellery Industry Innovation Centre (JIIC) and, of course, Charles Green. 

Opulent Ethics were very proud to accept their award which was for awareness of current trends, problem solving throughout the design process and the finished eye-catching piece.

Inspired by carnivorous pitcher plants and the beautiful green of the Peridot stone supplied by Charles Green, the Nepenthes pendant was created within Opulent Ethics’ ethical policy and used recycled silver rather than those metals used by other entrants.

To find out more about Opulent Ethics or our Nepenthes Range please visit our new wind-powered website;

www.opulentethics.com

That’s all for now….

Opulent Ethics wind powered website finally arrives!

Yes that’s right…the Opulent Ethics website has finally been finished and is up and running. Hosted by Make Hay, a wind powered green hosting site, the website will now be a one stop shop for everything about Opulent Ethics.

You can now read all about Opulent Ethics, our interests and campaigns we lend our name to as well as receiving a live feed from the Opulent Ethics blog or visiting the Opulent Ethics shop.

So don’t delay, visit the Opulent Ethics website….

www.opulentethics.com

That’s all for now….

Opulent Ethics invades Inhorgenta 2011

You may have noticed that Opulent Ethics have been missing this past week. That is because we were lucky enough to visit Inhorgenta, a jewellery trade fair in Munich. When we visited this time last year we returned completely inspired and blown away by all that we had seen. Sadly, this year this was not quite as inspirational.

Inhorgenta is a fabulous show with halls dedicated to design, commercial jewellery, technology, watches and gems but the general consensus seemed to be that what was on show this year was not as innovative as 2010.

There were many return visitors to the show as well as new designers who are just beginning their careers. For Opulent Ethics the most exciting hall was the design hall which was full of less commercial pieces and some students work.

For us here at Opulent Ethics, the stars of Inhorgenta definitely included:

Silvereira whose Eira range included some beautiful ethnic patterned earrings.

 Scenario's Eira Collection wooden earrings

 

William Cheshire’s Libertine pendants stood out from the crowd.

William Cheshire Libertine Pendant

And Ferran Iglesias used some very distinctive shapes in his work.

Atelier Ferran Iglesias' laserwelded Arracade Earrings

The more commercial hall was, once again, overpowered by Chamilia and Pandora, whose stands had turned into mini cities and were more imposing and less friendly and inviting than last year. Ti Sento also had a large presence. It was interesting to learn that Pandora actually started out as 1 small stand at Inhorgenta and is now the main player.

Whilst there, we attended some of the Trend and Branding talks which were interesting but not as informative or relevant to the jewellery industry as those at IJL last summer. We were also disappointed to see that there were no talks or debates concerning ethics whatsoever.

Opulent Ethics are now trying to use our Inhorgenta inspiration to come up with our next new range. Wish us luck!

That’s all for now….