Responsibly Sourced Jewellery
At Clifton Rocks we are committed to continually improving our ethical practice within the trade, from the jewellery we make, to the packaging we use. We aim to lessen our impact on the environment and support the communities that provide our materials and resources. We endeavour to keep our processes transparent and traceable and this way it allows you to understand the story of the piece you are having made and connects you to the very artisan who has been involved in the process.
In 2019, for our 10 year anniversary, we launched ‘Decadence’ a collection of fine buildable pieces that celebrates responsibly sourced materials and contemporary design. This collection has been made from ‘FairMined’ gold and ‘CanadaMark’ diamonds. In conjunction with ‘Moyogems’, an ethical gemstone program working with female artisan gem miners in Tanzania’s Umba Valley. Suppliers we continue to work with through our business not just ‘Decadence’.
Fairmined Gold is an assurance label that certifies gold from empowered responsible artisan and small-scale mining organisations who meet world leading standards for responsible practices. It transforms mining into an active force for good, ensuring social development and environmental protection, providing everyone with a source of gold to be proud of. To find out more about Fairmined, please follow the link here.
CanadaMark diamonds are responsibly mined in Canada’s Northwest Territories with respect for the sustainability of the natural environment and people living in the community. These ethically source diamonds are 100% traceable. All mines that are part of the CanadaMark program must meet Canada’s stringent environmental regulations, and many go above and beyond. It also help to improve the lives of those working within the supply chain and do no harm to the surrounding environment. To find out more about CanadaMark diamonds, please follow the link here.
At the moment we use CanadaMark Diamond, Moyo Gems and FairMined gold in our Decadence collection and some bespoke designs and one off pieces. But it is something we aim to roll out across the business in the future and encourage our customers to choose for their bespoke pieces. Please don’t hesitate to talk to our in house jewellers about making your next project in responsible sourced materials.
Remodelling and Recycling
Recycling is an essential part of the world we live in and the jewellery trade is built on it. The versatile and reusable nature of metal and the culture of the jewellery trade is to save every scrap and remodel it into something new. We specialise in remodelling here, with our onsite workshop and in house jewellers we are able to smelt down old pieces and breath new life into them. Not only is this a way to create extremely sentimental pieces it is also reduces the impact we have on the planet.
We are able to work with precious metals provided by customers as well as reusing existing stones. We are also able to source second hand stones such as vintage ‘Old Cut’ diamonds. These are pieces that have come out of old jewellery and have a gorgeous antique glamour to them, while reducing the need to mine new stones which in turn affects the environment. Please get in touch to find out more and to talk to one of our in house jewellers about your design ideas.
We are trying to make small but important steps with in the workshop. Reducing the amount of plastic bags we use and now using biodegradable ones where necessary as well are reusable gemstone display boxes. We have moved from plastic milk cartons to reusable glass one. If you have any ideas of other ways we can improve we would appreciate your suggestions.
Culture
We are an independent business that is female lead, that celebrates having women in every role within the business. Here at Clifton Rocks we aim to provide a supportive work environment with the opportunity for all staff to grow and develop.
We also aim to support charitable causes and have moved to focus this with Moyo Gems as they grow and develop the female lead business.
Hallmarking
The 1973 Hallmarking Act outlines the legal requirements for assaying, hallmarking and selling of precious metal items in the UK. There are three main areas with which a retailer selling precious metal items to UK consumers must comply:
- Ensuring items that are not exempt *carry a recognised hallmark
- Ensuring precious metal descriptions are accurate.
- Ensuring that the mandatory Dealers Notice is displayed for consumers.
