Will “Social-Media” ever beat a trip down the high street?

Opulent Ethics were recently reading a Professional Jeweller article on how Jewellery Shops are loosing out to on-line brands who sell directly to the public and it got us thinking about the way that consumers shop these days.

The Great British High Street

Since starting, Opulent Ethics have begun this blog, constructed a website and registered on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and sometimes we find that we spend all of our time logging into (and forgetting passwords of) different sites rather than sitting at the bench making up our designs.

But is “social media” all it promises to be or are there better ways out there to contact and build relationships with your client base? We know, as consumers ourselves, that on-line shopping is taking over from spending Saturday browsing around town. There is nothing easier than plonking on the settee in any old clothes with the TV on in the background and a cup of tea in one hand to look at the latest fashions but can this ever replace seeing an item in front of you?

For things like shoes and certain clothes we believe that you can’t beat going to a shop and trying a few things on. Certain items never look how you expect them to but with jewellery this may not be the case.

With the type of jewellery that Opulent Ethics produce everyone knows what silver or gold looks like and most consumers have a good imagination for the types of stones that we use so we think that it may be possible to successfully market our products without much trouble.

If the pieces that you are buying are brightly coloured or have specialised features such as movement though this may be more problematic as it is harder to visualise.

So how do you build a brand which people want to buy into on-line then without having stock in any shops? Well, if you find out the answer to that question please let us know! Opulent Ethics hope to build a brand which is renowned for quality, beautiful products which are ethically sourced and do more good than non-ethical jewellery but in order to do that we have to establish a name for ourselves.

And this is where a presence in shops and galleries and established on-line retailers comes in. We are of the opinion that we can build the Opulent Ethics brand up to a certain point with our current on-line presence but that there are limits to this. And this is why we hope, over the summer, to have some of our products for sale with other retailers as well as on the Opulent Ethics website.

It’s definitely something to think about!

For the full Professional Jeweller article click here.

That’s all for now....

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….

Beauty without the beast

Having come across an old article from the May 2010 edition of Professional Jeweller magazine titled; “Green Jewels for a green cause” Opulent Ethics decided to have a look around at the most beautiful ethical jewellery in recent years.

The professional jeweller article highlighted 8 established jewellers who were using ethically sourced Zambian emeralds in pieces designed specially to raise awareness of the plight of Asian elephants through the environmental charity; World Land Trust.

The emeralds used in these pieces are traceable throughout the supply chain from their origin in Zambia to the beautiful end products. And it is Gemfields who are providing this transparent supply chain.

Shaun Leane                                              Sabine Roemer                                        Sevan Bicakci

 James Currens                                  Theo Fennell

Other amazing pieces of ethical jewellery which we love are:

Choo Yilin Jade Bangles                         Leblas Lace Sphere Filigree Necklace

Pippa Small Haematite Tibetan Ring            Jana Reinhardt Diamond Set Ring

Leblas Sequin Ring

  

 It’s great to see that there are amazing ethical designs out there….