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“In every other market you have sustainable options. And, if you’re able to, you’ll choose organic,” says Kimberly Berry Haisch. She founded KBH Jewels when she noticed that the jewelry industry was lacking sustainable diamonds and other ethical and eco-friendly options. “Think about every other luxury market,” she says. From bed linens to skin care, there are eco-friendly options. And, we all know that fashion has made the term sustainable a key trend over the last few years. “But, there was not a sustainable option in jewelry,” Kimberly points out. After spending time researching ethical and sustainable practices within the industry, Kimberly crafted a jewelry line shining with sustainably-sourced diamonds and recycled gold made with ethical practices from her New York studio.
Yet, even with several collections of clean heritage jewelry under her belt, Kimberly is quick to note that there is still so much for jewelers and customers to learn about sustainable diamonds and jewelry in general.
Designing With Recycled Gold
“Metal mining in the U.S is the number one toxic polluter.” Kimberly notes that a 2012 report published by the Environmental Protection Agency showed that the mining industry accounted for 41% of all reported toxins from 1997 to 2010. Some of those toxins included billions of pounds of heavy metals like arsenic, mercury and lead that leaked into local water resources and the surrounding soil. Miners, local wildlife and even communities that are miles away from these areas can be impacted by the release of these toxins and experience adverse physical and mental effects. In her eyes using virgin gold is, “not worth the devastation in the mining process where this occurs.”
“You can recycle gold without any quality degradation.” Kimberly explains that gold is a renewable resource and there really isn’t a reason to mine for more. With a dedication to crafting her jewelry with 100% recycled gold, Kimberly and her team limit their reliance on gold mines and the mercury pollution that is still used as a method to collect gold in small-scale mining. As she puts it, “You’re stopping additional mining when you buy from KBH.”
The Making Of Sustainable Diamonds
It was only a few years ago that Kimberly became aware of the fact that lab created diamonds are the same as natural diamonds. Both involve the process of using heat and pressure to form carbon into diamonds. In terms of sustainability lab created diamonds alleviate the need for mines which have detrimental impacts on the environment and grave human rights violations. The average mined diamond uses 126 gallons of water and 538.5 million joules of energy per carat. Also, 125 pounds of carbon is emitted and 5,798 pounds of mineral waste is created. While lab created diamonds aren’t without their environmental impact, they carry a far lighter weight. In comparison lab created diamonds emit just 6 pounds of carbon and 1 pound of mineral waste.
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In terms of quality, Kimberly notes that the same color, cuts and clarity can be achieved in the lab. But, that in a controlled setting there is the added benefit of being able to choose better quality carbon seeds to form impeccable stones. “We do get to select the grade so that that all of our diamonds are DEF in color and VS in clarity.”
The Rise Of Sustainable Certifications
The fashion industry has Oeko-Tex and B Corporations. Our foods can have the USDA Organic seal, but in terms of jewelry, Kimberly notes that the industry has a lot of catching up to do in terms of sustainable certifications. When finding suppliers, Kimberly says that when researching sustainable options that fit the modern luxury aesthetic, “at first it was super hard”. For instance she was surprised to learn that there is little to no legislation around the cultivation of pearls and that in some regions they have grave impacts on water pollution.
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On a different note, she found it difficult to find visually appealing packaging that wasn’t plastic or all the way on the opposite end of the spectrum- a burlap bag- which she felt was too ‘crunchy’ for her clientele. “How could I send it out in plastic?” She says. “Then, what’s the point in ensuring that everything I made was 100% recycled gold and that the labs had zero carbon diamonds?” So, everything she ships out is made with recycled materials and is meant to be recycled and repurposed.
What was easier was having all of the jewelry pieces made in New York to ensure fair labor and wages. She also partners with like-minded diamond labs that focus on minimizing their own environmental impact. “Everything we can do, we do.” These days, Kimberly notes that a few certifications are rising that make it easier across the supply chain to vet partners and manufacturers. There is the Responsible Jewelry Council that ‘works with members to create a sustainable supply chain.’ But, outside of that and a few others, the vetting process is mostly left up to jewelers.
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Consumers play a role in the certification and sustainable initiatives happening in the jewelry industry too. The industry still needs to hear from the customer that sustainably and ethically made jewelry is what we want. In her words, “the more people ask for it, the more options that become available.”
