Sustainability as a Journey
Sustainability is an ongoing journey – not a final destination.
When shopping, whether online or in person, we often encounter brands marketing their sustainability. It’s easy to think of sustainability as a fixed goal, but it's more helpful to view it as a journey with milestones. Many industries, including fashion and jewellery, are embracing transparent sourcing, fair trade practices, and carbon-conscious production.
At Amberta, we’re dedicated to improving our sustainability at every step of the journey. Explore our jewellery collections today and make a positive impact with your purchases.
Step 1: Sourcing the Materials
The first step is sourcing the right materials.
Mining & Extraction
Natural materials like metals and gemstones are typically extracted from the Earth through mining, a process that involves locating, excavating, and processing mineral deposits. Mining precious metals and gemstones from the earth is resource-intensive and harmful to ecosystems.
Mining operations also vary in scale, from small artisanal efforts to large industrial projects, and can have significant environmental and social impacts. Even responsibly mined metals can still disrupt the environment. Ethical practices help reduce this harm, but sustainable mining remains challenging.
Processing & Refining
Refining is the crucial process of purifying raw metals to remove impurities and achieve the desired quality for use in jewellery and other applications. When metals such as gold, silver, or platinum are extracted, they often contain unwanted elements like other metals, minerals, and chemical compounds. Refining helps separate these impurities, resulting in a metal that meets industry standards for purity, strength, and appearance.
There are several methods used for refining metals, including smelting, electrolytic refining and chemical refining. Although refining is essential for producing high-quality jewellery metals, it is an energy-intensive process that generates waste materials and has prompted the industry to seek more sustainable alternatives, like recycling metals, using cleaner refining technologies and ethical sourcing and certifications.
Pre- and Post-Recycled Metals
To reduce reliance on naturally mined metals, some manufacturers opt for pre-recycled metals – materials sourced from other industries that are melted down and repurposed for jewellery. By using recycled gold and silver, brands can lower the demand for mining and minimise energy-intensive extraction processes.
Even better, once these recycled metals are incorporated into jewellery, they can be continuously recycled at the end of their lifecycle, reinforcing a circular economy model. At Amberta, we embrace this approach by recycling returned jewellery through trusted suppliers like Umicore ensuring that precious metals remain in circulation within the industry and do not go to waste.
Gemstones & Lab-Grown Diamonds
Traditionally, popular semi-precious gemstones and precious gemstones – including diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds (collectively known as the 4 Cardinal Gemstones) – are mined from deep within the Earth's crust using open-pit or underground mining techniques. These methods involve extracting gemstones from natural deposits, often requiring significant labour and environmental disruption.
Full transparency can still be challenging for precious and semi-precious stones, but certifications like the Kimberley Process, Fairtrade or International Gemological Institute (IGI), ensure that miners receive fair wages, work in safe conditions, and follow responsible environmental practices. Find out more about certifications here.
Lab-grown diamonds are a great alternative to natural diamonds, as share the same properties as mined diamonds but typically are more affordable and ethically sound, as they are created in a lab instead of being mined naturally. They reduce land degradation, and labour concerns, and often use renewable energy, making them a sustainable choice.
Discover our stunning collection of Amberta IGI-certified lab-grown diamond rings, the perfect balance of beauty, sustainability, and affordability.
Step 2: Manufacturing and Supply Chain Impact
The environmental impact of jewellery production spans various stages:
Development & Sampling
The development phase involves development, prototyping, and sampling, all of which require resources and energy. Brands that focus on digital design and 3D modelling can reduce waste and enhance efficiency at this stage.
Quality Control
Quality control ensures that each piece meets the necessary standards and specifications. This process is often conducted by visually checking quality, conducting metal authenticity/allergy tests or third-party audits for the manufacturer. It helps identify defects and reduce wasted jewellery, ultimately conserving resources and maintaining high production quality.
Transportation & Carbon Footprint
Once ordering is complete, the goods are then transported from the manufacturer to the brand to sell. Transportation is the movement of materials and products across distances, contributing to carbon emissions. Brands can reduce their footprint by sourcing locally or offsetting emissions through recycling initiatives.
Step 3: Sustainable Packaging
Jewellery is then packaged with additional marketing materials added.
Many brands are switching to:
✔ Plastic-free jewellery packaging
✔ Compostable or biodegradable materials
✔ Minimalist designs to reduce waste
Step 4: Marketing – Greenwashing & What to Watch For
After it has been packed and processed, it is ready to market and sell either online or in person. However, we need to be careful of misleading claims.
Greenwashing happens when brands exaggerate their environmental efforts in their marketing with vague terms like “eco-friendly” but lack actual evidence. Look for brands that provide transparency, such as clear explanations of their sustainable practices, and certifications like the National Association of Jewellers or the Responsible Jewellery Council, who actively encourage brands who are part of their organisations to be transparent in their marketing and practices.
In the UK, regulations such as the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and the Competition and Markets Authority’s Green Claims Code ensure businesses make truthful environmental claims and provide transparent communication about product quality, durability, and required care. At Amberta, we are proud members of the National Association of Jewellers, which means we are committed to upholding these regulations, as well as ensuring transparency in our marketing. We strive to continually improve and uphold genuine ethical and environmental standards in our practices.
When buying from brands, look out for:
- Honesty in Marketing: Clear explanations of sustainable practices.
- Certifications: Trustworthy organisations like the Responsible Jewellery Council or the National Association of Jewellers.
- Transparency: Brands should be open about their sustainability goals.
- Sustainability Reports: Brands should report on their progress and measurable goals.
- CO2 Statements: Look for brands that reduce emissions and use eco-friendly packaging.
At Amberta, we are dedicated to continuous improvement in sustainability. We strive to uphold ethical and environmental standards across materials, packaging, and innovation.