5 Ocean-Inspired Sustainable Jewelry Brands That Give Back
Introduction
Dive into the depths of sustainable jewelry, where elegance meets ethics and style blends seamlessly with responsibility. Jewelry should not only sparkle but also makes a positive impact on the environment, communities, and the world at large. Discover 5 ocean-inspired sustainable jewelry brands that give back to the planet.
Sustainable jewelry is more than just adornment; it’s a statement of conscious consumption and a commitment to the well-being of both people and the planet. From the sourcing of materials to the craftsmanship behind each piece, sustainable jewelry embodies a set of principles that prioritize ethical practices and environmental preservation.
“Where elegance meets ethics and style blends seamlessly with responsibility.”
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What to Look For
Ethical Material Sourcing: Sustainable jewelry brands prioritize using materials that have been responsibly sourced, such as recycled metals and ethically mined gemstones. By avoiding the use of materials obtained through destructive mining practices, including deep-sea mining, which can harm marine ecosystems, these brands help reduce the demand for harmful resource extraction.
Reduced Environmental Impact: Sustainable jewelry production often involves lower energy consumption, reduced water usage, and minimized waste. This approach helps mitigate the pollution and resource depletion that can negatively affect the oceans.
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Transparency and Traceability: Understand the importance of transparency in the jewelry supply chain, allowing consumers to trace the origins of materials and assess the overall environmental and social impact.
Supporting Marine and Enviromental Conservation Initiatives: Some sustainable jewelry brands donate a portion of their profits to marine conservation organizations. By purchasing from these brands, consumers can contribute to efforts aimed at protecting and restoring ocean health.
Bandicoot by Brinkley
“Bandicoot jewelry is ethically designed for old souls with young eyes, vintage hearts and brave minds.”
Created with nature in mind by conservationist Brinkley Davies. Bandicoot creates high quality 925 sterling silver pieces designed by Brinkley and believes ethical production of jewelry and clothing play a large part in both human rights and respect, but environmental protection.
Their silver, metal and additional high end materials originate from credible environmental and ethical sources, which you can read more about here. They also utilize the power of lab-grown gemstones, opals and diamonds which reproduce natural processes and are proven to emit a much lighter carbon footprint.
Bandicoot contributes 10% of all profits towards Balu Blue Foundation, an environmental and marine-focused charity.
She Seas Favorite: Apex Mini Hoops, $110
SHOP: Bandicoot by Brinkley
VANDAYA
Co-founder and CEO of VANDAYA, Amalie Marstrand has been engaged in marine conservation from a young age. Both through her Marine Biology studies and former while working in Fiji as a volunteer on a shark conservation project, Amalie experienced the dramatic changes of our oceans and coral reefs firsthand and from then on knew that she would be working with ocean conservation.
Their mission from the beginning was to create jewelry from recycled and ethically sourced materials shipped in plastic-free packaging, leaving no plastic trace behind.
They ship all packages in 100% plastic-free packaging in 100% compostable shipping mailers.
VANDAYA donates 10% of profits to coral restoration efforts, run by Metamorfosa, in Northern Bali.
She Seas Favorite: Fiji Gold Shark Tooth Necklace, $135
SHOP: VANDAYA
Bracenet
Did you know: the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is 4.5 times the size of Germany? What even fewer people know is 46% of it consists of ghost nets, i.e. lost or intentionally sunk fishing nets. Every year, 1 million tons more end up in our seas, where they continue to fish and bring an agonizing end to countless marine animals. The nets haunt around until they decompose after 600-800 years and make the seas unsafe in the form of microplastics.
Bracenet wants the seas to go back to what they used to be – plastic-free. They work closely with Healthy Seas , Ghost Diving and Nofir to salvage the nets and clean them in an environmentally friendly way.
Bracenet upcycle the nets by hand into our products such as bracenets, dog leashes, keychains and rings.
To date Bracenet has donated €200,000 to organizations such as Healthy Seas, Sea Shepherd, Everwave, Ocean Voyages Institute and more. And they have recovered more than 773 tons of ghost nets from the ocean.
She Seas Favorite: Aegean Sea anklet, $32
SHOP: Bracenet
ZAAZU
ZAAZU began with the aim of creating a sustainable, fair jewelry label with a sense of responsibility. They use recycled and sustainable materials and resource-saving production, to ensure that the production of their high-quality pieces of jewelry is never at the expense of people or nature.
ZAAZU only uses recycled 925 Sterling silver and real stones to make our jewelry, and never use plastic or silicone in the making of their jewelry. ZAAZU jewelry boxes are made from 100% recycled cardboard and all raw materials and adhesives used are biodegradable. Shipping packaging is made from 90% recycled materials, printed with water-based black ink and is 100% biodegradable. ZAAZU also stresses the importance of fair wages and working conditions for their Balinese jewelry makers. You can read more about that here.
ZAAZU donates to organizations including OneTreePlanted and Feed Bali.
She Seas Favorite: Maisie Earcuff, $70
SHOP: ZAAZU
Midori
The word “Midori” — meaning Green in Japanese — was chosen to reflect a brand that embraces the beauty of our natural surroundings. “Midori symbolizes the eternal gratitude and kindness that we show towards both nature and one another, just as she has shown to us.”
Midori uses recycled sterling silver and solid gold to reduce environmental damage. They use both synthetic and natural gemstones that are ethically sourced by our Responsible Jewelry Council (RJC) certified suppliers. Pieces are handmade by a small-scale, family-run factory based in Thailand that is certified by the RJC.
Midori is a 1% For The Planet member, and pledges to donate 1% of their annual revenue to various environmental non-profit organizations that are helping restore our oceans and reduce pollution. They also launched By The Sea, a line where 20% of the revenue generated from the collection is donated to The Ocean Agency.
She Seas Favorite: La Mer Pendant Necklace, $55
SHOP: Midori
