How Jewellers can safe-gaurd themselves against greenwashing
Some time on from the Fair Luxury State of Sustainability in the Jewellery Industry conference at the Goldsmiths’ Centre, I am still mulling a lot of what was said. There were a lot of topics covered, from mining to manufacturing, some contentious conversations and some very uplifting ones too. I’m especially reflecting though, on the topics covered on my panel about responsible communications & greenwashing.
I can honestly say I have never met a small brand or jeweller, who intentionally makes unfounded claims about their eco-credentials. Maybe you have? But, unintentionally inflating claims, that’s another story. Maybe you are?
© Photographer Julia Skupny, The Goldsmiths’ Centre 2025
Today it feels like most big brands in the UK jewellery industry, and many worldwide, are using words like ‘sustainable’ and ‘ethically made’ in their marketing and on their websites. Some big brands have the resources to create lengthy impact reports, visit mines and work with charities. But where does that leave smaller brands who have to rely on third party sellers and manufacturers who make their own decisions about ethics in their business?
We are truly in an age of greenwashing, where fast fashion brands can re-brand and use vague and often confusing statements to lull their customers into thinking the money they spend, also does good for people or planet. But nothing can damage a brand more than having unsupported green claims exposed.
The one things I have realised over my more than 10 years in the jewellery industry, is that if you cannot clearly and confidently answer difficult questions about your materials or working practices, then you need to dig deeper into the words you use and the claims you make.
When I audit brands, their ‘ethics and responsibility’ website pages (if present) are often the first I scrutinise. Sustainability should be a journey that you, as a founder, go on to improve not only the standing of your business, but the lives of those in your supply chain, as well as the Earth. A laudable pursuit, not a way to boost Search Engine Optimisation or keep up with bigger brands who use the same language, often making them unearned sales.
I definitely do not claim to be an expert, but for years I have been surrounded by incredibly knowledgeable and committed people and the over arching take away has been to make small steps in the right direction. My mantra has always been “transparency over perfection”. Honesty and authenticity will always be more valuable than half empty claims.
So if you struggle to discuss your sustainability efforts with you customers I have a few ideas for you to help you be more confident.
© Photographer Julia Skupny, The Goldsmiths’ Centre 2025
Things to consider if you use ‘ethical’ or ‘sustainable’ in your branding
Can any product based business be truly sustainable? Although handmade or high end jewellery is unlikely to end up in landfill, it is ultimately another product to consume and over consumption needs to be part of the conversation.
Do you prioritise people, or plant? Small businesses can’t always do both. There are always two sides to every story. If every business decided tomorrow that laboratory-grown diamonds were better for the environment than mined diamonds, millions of artisanal miners who rely on mining to survive would be in dire straights. If you do use lab-diamonds can you be sure the factory of origin does work in an eco-friendly way, with as little impact as possible on the environment? Many absolutely do not.
Using recycled metal is not enough to constitute a sustainable brand. Can you prove your recycled metal has actually been repurposed from waste materials? Options like AgAIN Silver are truly recycled, from a waste product, medical X-rays. Silver, in its bullion form, would never be considered a ‘waste product’ and thrown away, therefore, the word recycled is technically being misused. The brand, The Rock Hound for example, is now exclusively using AgAIN Silver paired with Fairmined Gold plating. This choice centres traceability and gives customers a better insight into the origins of their jewellery.
Do you know the carbon footprint of your business? For most small businesses, controlling and reducing your carbon emissions can be tricky, especially if you work from a shared building with no control over energy or waste management suppliers. But understanding your impact, and what you can improve will stand to you.
Ethics aren’t all about materials. Working with charities can be a great way to have a meaningful impact. Vurchoo is a jewellery brand born out of the desire to help young people realise a brighter future. Working with schools around the world, creating jewellery inspired by the children’s drawings, Vurchoo gives between 10-25% of profits from each sale to charities, in the UK and overseas.
Language matters, could you use these words instead?
As I mentioned ‘recycled’ is a contentious term, could you use remodelled, repurposed, reused instead? Instead of ‘sustainable’ or ‘ethical’ could you use mindful, eco-conscious, responsible?
The road towards sustainability in any product based business is long and can often feel difficult. We all know what having a negative impact looks like, but the breadth of positive steps and actions is huge. Taking any steps towards improving your businesses impact on people and planet is a great direction to be going in.
I hope this has been a helpful exercise in thinking about the eco-claims you’re making in our marketing. And if we are being really critical about it, I wonder, can any business which creates and sells a product to consumers, ever actually be sustainable?
To help you think more critically about the claims you make, download this free checklist. It might just get you thinking differently about how you communicate about your sustainability journey.
If you feel like it’s time to get support in your business or you have questions about this blog post, you can always book a FREE discovery call or get in touch. Plus you can follow me on Instagram for more regular jewellery industry & e-commerce insights & actionable advice.