Ute Decker and Linnie McLarty’s pop-art!

Everything has a “pop” to it these days…pop tarts, pop art, pop music, even pop-up shops and the latest is a pop up gallery. Taking place on

Columbia Road

in Hackney, an area renowned for its sweet smelling Sunday Flower Market this month long exhibition space definitely has the snap, crackle and pop!

Opulent Ethics were lucky enough to be invited to the preview evening on Thursday where we got to view some of the first Fairtrade gold nuggets which goes on sale on Monday 14^th February.

Both Ute Decker’s and Linnie McLarty’s jewellery looked stunning in its new home in Gallery 94 at 94 Columbia Road. There had been an amazing transformation of the space from, what is normally, a fully-functioning workshop, into a sleek, clean beautiful display space for the 2 designer-makers.

Both Ute and Linnie created new pieces which will be produced in the world’s first Fairtrade gold from Cotapata Mine in Bolivia, when it becomes available on Valentines Day. Alongside these beautiful new pieces were ranges of Ute Decker’s sculptural jewellery made from recycled silver and sunflower bio-resin and Linnie McLarty’s colourful, enamelled, clever brooches and hand-made jewellery.

Ute Decker's PURE Arm Sculpture in gold

Linnie McClarty's Brooch

So how did the jewellery look in Fairtrade gold? Did it have an extra sparkle to it? Ute believes that;

“you first fall in love with this jewellery because of the beauty, boldness, and uniqueness of it‘s appearance, and then you learn about it’s inner beauty and ethical make-up and fall in love all over again”.

And Opulent Ethics has to agree. This new gold signifies actual improvements in the lives and environment of mining communities.

And it certainly seems to have got people talking. Esteemed guests at the event included Maurice Mullen from the Evening Standard, Laura McCreddie Editor at Retail Jeweller, Muriel Wilson from the Association of Contemporary Jewellery, Victoria Waugh from the Fairtrade Foundation and Della Tinsley, the Managing Director of London Jewellery Week.

But, more importantly, Juana Pena Endora from the Cotapata Cooperative in Bolivia, the world's first Fairtrade and Fairmined mine, and Manuel Reinoso Rivas, a Peruvian miner and Vice-Chair for the Alliance for Responsible Mining in Peru were in attendance. Both miners had experienced flying and left their respective countries for the first time to take part in the release of Fairtrade gold in the UK. So far they have attended and spoken at events in London, met with those who will be working with the gold, such as Weston Beamor who will be licensed to cast using the gold, at Birmingham’s Jewellery Show and, when we spoke to them, were on their way to Wales to see how mining in the UK compares to that at home.

Opulent Ethics thinks that it was truly valuable and inspiring to see and meet these people who work day and night to acquire the materials that we use to produce our work. These are the people who are fighting to make changes for themselves and their communities and are the people that initiatives, such as Fairtrade gold, is trying to reach. We think that it is time for the curtain to rise and for names and faces to be put to the millions of people who are involved in small-scale, artisanal mining and who have been anonymous for too long.   

For both Juana and Manuel their journey seems to have been an eye-opening education but, hopefully, may have reassured them that they are not alone in their fight. Some of the biggest names in jewellery are now coming together to improve the chances of Fairtrade gold and, by default, those whose lives are entangled in its production.

During the evening Juana was presented with one of Linnie’s silver Chrysanthemum rings which she had tried on in gold earlier in the evening. This generous gift by Linnie was met with incredulity and tears. Hopefully it will be taken back to Bolivia as a symbol of the hope and faith that we all have in the success of Fairtrade and Fairmined gold and, more importantly, in the belief that we can all work together to improve the lives of Juanas and Manuels everywhere.   

      

 

Juana Pena Endora wearing Linnie McClarty's Chrysanthemum Ring in gold

For further information and photos of the evening please see Ute Decker’s website. For other stories regarding the release of Fairtrade and Fairmined gold please see the Professional Jeweller website. And if you wish to see the beautiful jewellery for yourself, Gallery 94 is open until Sunday 27^th February and is definitely worth a look.

That’s all for now….

Birmingham’s Spring Fair lacks in the ethics department

Opulent Ethics visited the 2011 Spring Fair at Birmingham’s NEC this week where there were over 400 exhibitors at the Jewellery Show section with new designers and big names rubbing shoulders.
Despite all of this we were disappointed by the lack of anything much ethical on the agenda. 

26 free seminars including trend talks, information on marketing for e-commerce and lectures on Intellectual Property rights were available but, sadly, only 1 of these concerned ethics. Opulent Ethics find it very strange that there was so much interest in ethics at IJL 2010 back in September and then come February of the following year, on the eve of Fairtrade gold being released the only mention is 1 talk on the pro’s and con’s of buying Fair Trade.

Of course there were some wonderful pieces of jewellery on show, especially in the Design Section, and it was great to find that there were some ethical exhibitors including Sara Preisler, Leju Designs, Earth Works and Out of Peru but we felt that we really had to search them out.

Sara Preisler pendant

Sarah Ho Mari earrings

James Newman rings

  

We here at Opulent Ethics think that it is a great shame that one of the biggest jewellery shows in the UK is not acknowledging one of the biggest issues in the jewellery trade and not making a point of highlighting a very important section of the trade.

So did we manage to find any evidence of other companies changing their ethics? Yes we did. After noticing some advertising on the side of the Weston Beamor stand and chatting to some of the staff we were pleasantly surprised to hear that Weston Beamor are now fully licensed to cast using Fairtrade gold. One disadvantage, however, is that anyone who wishes to cast using the gold also has to be licensed. Things are never easy or straightforward!

And elsewhere in the news; in Retail Jeweller magazine we managed to find a 55 word article on Ute Decker and Linnie McLarty’s Fairtrade gold pop-up shop which opens this week and a letter from Greg Valerio regarding the great work that ARM and FLO have done in bringing the Fairtrade gold idea to fruition. What is happening to this world when big news like the release of Fairtrade gold barely hits page 17 let alone the headlines?!   

That’s a very disappointed all for now….

The start of the Fairtrade gold rush!

Opulent Ethics have previously mentioned that Fairtrade Certified Gold is being launched on Valentine’s Day this year and that the Fairtrade Hallmark will be part of this. As Valentine’s Day is now creeping closer, over the next few weeks, Opulent Ethics will be reporting on the preparations for, events during and reaction after this milestone event.

There is still currently very little being said about the events which are planned but both Ute Decker and Linnie McLarty have started talking about and advertising their pop-up shop which they will be using to preview their first foray into Fairtrade gold. The pop-up shop will be running for a month from 6^th – 27^th February at 94 

Columbia Road

in London.

Ute Decker is already renowned for her beautiful sculptural jewellery which has previously been made from 100% recycled silver and bio-resin (derived from sunflower seeds) but as one of the first jewellers who are licensed to use Fairtrade gold, her work is about to take on a totally different aesthetic.

Ute Decker arm piece in 100% recycled silver

Opulent Ethics have always loved Ute’s work in silver as the colour and finish of the silver compliments the designs and shapes that she creates. We are, however, very excited about seeing Ute’s new range, PURE, in Fairtrade gold as she is going to be one of the figure heads for the whole Fairtrade gold movement.

 Ute Decker arm piece in Fairtrade gold

 

Linnie McLarty has used more colour and more varied materials in her work. Inspired by the natural and aquatic worlds some of her pieces make use of the wearers clothing within themselves. This ensures that the same piece of Linnie’s jewellery looks different and individual on each different wearer.

Linnie McLarty "Poppi" brooches

By using various metals, stones, and, more recently, enamels, Linnie creates different bodies of work which appear to link the disciplines of jewellery, silversmithing, sculpture, fashion and art. Like with Ute, it will be very interesting to see how Linnie’s work has developed and been affected by the new material of Fairtrade gold.

Linnie McLarty "Poppi" brooch

Opulent Ethics will be popping along to Ute and Linnie’s pop-up shop in February and will let you know what we see. This first event promises to be a spectacular, eye-opening first dip into the Fairtrade gold waters.

That’s all for now….

An oxidising eggsperience

This week Opulent Ethics have done their first bit of oxidising using good old eggs and this got us thinking what other jewellery techniques are there that can be done in a greener way?

The colour left behind when oxidising with eggs rather than liver of sulphur or oxidisation chemicals is gunmetal grey rather than black but we love the finished look. And the technique is so simple you can do it in your kitchen with no need for additional tools. All you need is an airtight, sealable bag, some eggs and the jewellery you wish to oxidise.

There are numerous recipes around with each one stating how to get the perfect outcome but we chose to follow this simple one from “I Dream I Can Fly Away”:

• Finish your jewellery as required. A polished surface will still shine through after oxidisation.
• Boil your eggs for 10 – 15 minutes (the number of eggs is dependant on the size of your piece. We used 2 eggs for a 30mm piece).
• Ensure your piece is dry and place it in the sealable bag. If the metal is wet the oxidisation process will not work as well. Multiple pieces should be placed apart so they do not touch as this affects the oxidisation process also.
• When the eggs have boiled, remove them from the water, dry them and place them straight into the bag.
• Seal the bag with a little air in it.
• Smash the eggs and yolks to release the sulphur.
• Turn the piece of jewellery every 5 minutes for the first 30 minutes to ensure the sulphur reaches all parts of the piece.
• Leave for 2 hours or longer if you wish the oxidisation to be darker. 
• Remove and finish as required.

From this...

To this!

We found that there is only a slight difference in colour between the pieces being left for 2 hours or being left overnight. It is hard to stop the pieces from getting wet in the bag as there is condensation from the hot eggs. In the future Opulent Ethics may try and suspend the piece so that it touches none of the sides of the bag, making it easier for the sulphur to reach all surfaces and to stop any of the condensation from reaching the piece. Also, in future, if we were oxidising multiple pieces at once we would place them in separate bags as the colour change was less in bags with more than one piece.

The other very simple way that anyone can green their jewellery is by changing their pickle. Normal chemical pickle is very corrosive (you may have noticed holes appearing in all your clothes after a day in the workshop) and should not be disposed of down the sink. There are, however, alternatives! Ute Decker has a pickle fact sheet on her website showing the recipe for either citric acid or iodized salt and vinegar pickle. The beauty of both these pickle solutions is that you can make them from easily purchased ingredients, they can be disposed of in a normal way and they are less corrosive to your skin and clothes.

There are further mentions on Ute’s website on how to be more green in your workshop. Other great tips can be found in Art Jewellery Magazine and on The Daily Jewel, a blog by Christine Dhein on all things green in jewellery.

That’s all for now….

Keeping ethics in the spotlight and increasing participation

The old adage that “All publicity is good publicity” is not always true especially with a subject as volatile and far reaching as Fair Trade, ethics and green issues. Everyone has an opinion ranging from the denial of global warming at one end of the scale to ethical fantasists at the other.

Within the fashion industry principles of sustainability and ethical standards are already rife and constantly growing, improving and becoming more accepted. So how do we bring the jewellery industry in line with our fashion counterparts? How do we keep pushing developments? And, for those of us who are already ethical in our work, how do we disclose this without sounding like we are patronising others for not being so?

Fashion and jewellery have developed side by side over many generations. The two have overlapped regularly never more so than when fashion jewellery emerged. This recent arm of the jewellery industry works in the same way as the fashion industry with styles, colours, shapes and designs changing on a seasonal basis. The Fine Jewellery sector of the market also follows this but at a less rapid speed.

The most necessary factor in shifting the jewellery industry towards being more ethical is a genuine interest in the issues concerned by those trying to change. Opulent Ethics believes that Companies who become ethical for the sole intention of attracting more customers are almost as bad as those who ignore the issues altogether.

There are always stories about the plight of the environment and the peoples involved in the jewellery industry supply chain. In recent years we have seen the spotlight focusing on the Blood Diamond film, the Marange Diamond Fields in Zimbabwe, Naomi Campbell’s involvement in the Blood Diamond trial of the ex-Liberian leader Charles Taylor, the campaign to save Alaska’s Bristol Bay from being mined…the list goes on and on.    

The story behind the Ethical Fashion Forum (EFF), a non-profit organisation, also rings true for the jewellery industry. The EFF started with a group of individuals and small companies who were concerned about the impact their business-actions had on others. From initial meetings came the idea to share and disseminate relevant information, to share supplier and manufacturer information and to help spread the word about what they were doing and why to the larger fashion community.

Today the EFF has over 3000 members in 73 countries all networking, sharing new developments and information and taking part in the numerous events and shows arranged by the forum. The EFF is also as successful as it is due to its collaborations with big names in the fashion world which attracts the attention of students and new designers as well as the world’s media.

There are already inklings of similar organisations within the ethical jewellery industry with the start of the Fair Jewellery Action website which has the on-going intention of combining the knowledge and experience of established ethical jewellers including Greg Valerio, Marc Choyt, Cred Jewellery and Ute Decker. Each of these founder members has far reaching contacts which should be encouraged to join the revolution and then, hopefully, an Ethical Jewellery Forum may begin.

Developments within jewellery are happening constantly but consistent consumer pressure may be what the industry needs to really make big steps toward change. A large percentage of the jewellery industry population don’t know or care about ethical issues but as bigger names are catching on and becoming involved this will change. There is so much family history within the industry with many companies set in their ways and following their heritage rather than forward thinking developments. This is going to be a challenge to change.

There are numerous companies which already produce jewellery in an ethical or sustainable way. Some choose to overtly publicise their ethical intentions (Oria, Leblas, Cred, Fifi Bijoux, Avasarah) whilst other make changes quietly without pushing their choices at their consumers (Ute Decker, Bario-Neal, Daisy Knights, Saretta).  

Opulent Ethics is unsure about which of these works best but knows that both are as important as the other and that we need more companies like this to keep making changes. And whichever way a designer decides to go, transparency has got to be the key. At this early stage of setting up ethics as a serious sector of the jewellery industry it is important for designers to be realistic in what they can achieve and practice what they say in order to ensure that ethics does not keep coming to the fore in a negative light.

Overall, the best thing that anyone can do is share their findings, suppliers and experiences either through their products and advertising or by becoming members of groups or wiki-sites such as the Fair Jewellery Action website. Also, be prepared to talk to those who ask about a piece of ethical jewellery being worn and the reasons for wearing it. You may find that you end up having the same conversation again and again but, yes another antonym is being used, baby steps are a good start point.

That’s it for now….

How ethical was IJL 2010?

Having recently visited International Jewellery London (IJL) in early September we at Opulent Ethics were astonished by the number of complimentary seminars which focused on ethical issues within the jewellery trade. IJL say they are dedicated to promoting and investing in current issues which affect the industry but we were impressed that 5 of the 48 seminars, nearly 10%, were related to ethical jewellery.

Three of the seminars made up the crowning glory of the seminar programme; The Great Debate. Sadly, we were only able to attend the final seminar in the series; Ethical Jewellery – from ideal to reality, which brought together David Hargreaves from Fairtrade Gemstones, Jonathan Lambert from Ethically Precious and Ute Decker from Ute Decker Sculptural Jewellery. Whilst the debate started slowly the topics soon being covered included; sourcing issues, traceability, whether ethical jewellery can be a viable business plan and the best way to convey ethical intentions.    

Throughout the debate David Hargreaves, who has worked with mining companies for years stressed that mining is now integral to modern society and will not end. We should, therefore, be moving towards mining with care. His company, Fairtrade Gemstones has 100% traceability from source mines to retail and is able to offer for sale most stones. David Hargreaves also believes that the City view ethics in a purely financial way and that if ethical jewellery is to become a viable business it will be necessary for ethical brands to offer their products at an equal price point to non-ethical brands.

Jonathan Lambert spoke about changing consumer opinion by bringing ethical jewellery to the high street which he is doing with his Chaos collection. He also believes that you must have confidence in your products to be able to help spread the word about ethics.

Ute Decker responded to questions regarding how to get the ethical message across. Ute Decker feels that conversation is the way forward. She always wears pieces of her sculptural jewellery and uses them to spark interest and conversation, without which, non-ethically conscious people will not become aware of the issues.

Overall, The Great Debate and IJL are valuable tools for ensuring ethics becomes more widespread within the trade but there are still problems. Certification and standardization is required throughout the ethical supply chain. One of the companies which should be at the front of this is the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) who chaired The Great Debate. After questions regarding their intentions, the RJC were forced to admit that, despite having 250 members, and aiming to make their mandate industry-wide, they are yet to audit any of their members and this may take up to 2 years to complete. Still a long way to go!

Other seminars attended by Opulent Ethics included The Impact of Green Issues On-line. This was given by Michelle Tuck the Creative Director of Avasarah an ethical jewellery company and e-tailer. Whilst most of this seminar covered well trodden ground she did bring one new issue to our attention. Whilst speaking about how social media is the new way to call for change she also explained that by using these sites we open our brands up to being owned as much by our consumers as by ourselves due to freedom of speech. This is definitely something we at Opulent Ethics will be thinking about in the future.

Finally we attended Ute Decker’s Ethical Jewellery – how business and designers can become more ethical in their trading and production. Of all the seminars we attended this was by far the most useful and most well attended. Ute Decker spoke openly and frankly about the pitfalls of making ethical jewellery and her reasons for choosing to do so. The practical information she supplied was as relevant and helpful to those who are starting out or trying to become more ethical as it was to those who are already working ethically. Topics covered included suppliers of materials, office supplies, hosting sites and energy suppliers. For all this information and more visit the ethical jewellery resources section of Ute Decker's website. She also spoke at length about Fair Trade gold and its future developments but we will talk about this in another post though as we think this is enough for our first outing!

Bye for now....