Anna Mcloughlin Fine Jewellery - Certified B Corp!

Jewellery Specific Stuff

I’m a firm believer that there is already enough of everything in the world, without having to keep producing new “stuff”!  Jewellery is made to be worn, not sit in a box forever, but so many of us have pieces that we just have to keep due to their sentimentality. Therefore rescuing and recycling old pieces of jewellery from spending life stuck at the bottom of a drawer, never to be worn again, turning them into something new and beautiful is my absolute speciality!

All of the gold and silver that I use are recycled (either directly from old jeweller or bought from the bullion dealer as such), and although there isn’t any “official” recycled platinum or palladium yet, in reality, due to the fact that these metals are so expensive to buy, virtually every jeweller working with them will be selling their scrap back to the bullion dealer who then refines it ready to be used again.

However, no process is perfect, and I’m on a mission to make my business as circular as I possibly can, which includes my aim to eventually be able to work only in precious metals and gemstones that I have recycled from old jewellery in house.

An area of my industry that certainly isn't perfect (yet) is that of gemstones, and again I’ll always opt for recycled first. I don’t buy mined diamonds as there’s just too much uncertainty and risk that they may have caused harm to someone or the environment along their journey, so if you “really” want a diamond and I can’t get a recycled stone, I’ll use lab grown, but again, I’m very picky about where they have come from as often these don’t carry a perfectly clean ethical slate either! A diamond “alternative that I use quite a lot of is Moissanite. Again, as with every gemstone, just saying “it’s moissanite” isn’t really good enough in my mind. All of the moissanite that I use is made by Charles and Colvard, a US based company who manufacture all of their moissanite in USA factories. I know it’s not the UK, but at least the chances of worker exploitation are vastly reduced. Here’s their website if you’d like to check them out.

I do also currently buy a few mined coloured gemstones from Nineteen48. A trusted supplier who can offer full traceability.

Packaging is another constant “work in progress” and over the last few years, I’ve been working hard to find plastic-free, recyclable (in your own compost bin!) and vegan friendly solutions. My current packaging is made either from reclaimed wood or paper, but the velvety foam pads inside the boxes are currently proving difficult to find a suitable vegan alternative option for right now. Hopefully though, the box that your jewellery comes in is kept and used to safely store each piece when you’re not wearing it for many years to come.

As far as postal packaging goes, all of this is now plastic free and recyclable in your household collection or compost, or even better, please reuse it first if you can.