Ethical Jewellery
Coming from a part of the world where extraction of raw materials is the source of all evil, I simply could not participate blindly. I wanted my work to be a reflexion on why we value some materials, their purpose, their place - before and now - in the African narrative. But to do that it was important to source them in the most neutral or constructive manner.
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The silver is mainly from certified recycled sources:
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Certified 100% ecosilver from Cookson
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Recycled fine silver from Bellore Rashbel (not certified 100%)
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The gold leaves is only from recycled sources.
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I buy the beautiful glass beads from African Fabrics, a UK based charitable organisation, that supports craft in Africa.The glass beads can be traced back to the artisan and is fairly bought by them. Most of the glass used is recycled. You can visit their website and the fantastic work they do : www.africanfabric.co.uk

Studio practices
Ethical making goes beyond how raw materials are sourced. When measuring the ethics of my practice, I consider my entire making process and how my work space functions. I am working towards improving them but already :
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I use chemicals alternative wherever possible and sometimes decide to not use a technique if I can't find the right alternative and master it.
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Print and packaging from UK : I source the labels from The Green Label Company. They do a great job to provide 100% biodegradable and compostable labels. The tiny Box Company provides me with recycled gift boxes. I am still hoping to find jewellery box inserts recycled as well.
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Electricity is supplied by Good Energy.