The Alex Monroe Approach

Alex Monroe jewellery has always been designed and made to be worn, loved and treasured. Every piece tells a story - from the hypnotic dragonflies flitting around the Suffolk countryside of Alex’s childhood to a quirky shrimp, inspired by early memories of an unconventional but delicious afternoon tea.

Our collections exist outside the world of fast fashion, and we have never been guided by trends or the desire for newness. Alex and our design team follow their inspiration wherever it takes them, and our biggest problem is often that we simply have too many ideas! We love to see the individuality of how our customers choose and wear their Alex Monroe Jewellery, and hear your own personal stories of which pieces you connect with the most.

This intuitive and personal approach to jewellery design and the emotional connection it inspires means so many of our customers treasure their Alex Monroe jewellery for a lifetime - challenging the often throwaway nature of modern life.

Handmade in England

Alex has always been committed to making his jewellery in England. This currently takes place in our two purpose-built London workshops, working alongside our long term and trusted making partners in Birmingham’s jewellery quarter. Making in England allows us to shorten our supply chain, reduce our carbon footprint, tighten our quality control, and fix and reuse materials that would otherwise be scrapped. whilst simultaneously ensuring the ethical treatment of our jewellers and makers - a particularly problematic aspect of jewellery production overseas. It also lets us support fellow small businesses within our industry, in keeping the craft of traditional jewellery making alive!

Intended to be worn for a Lifetime

We are proud to say that we have always offered a Repairs & Reconditioning service to fix any breakages and bring older pieces of AM jewellery back to their best! It is our intention for our customers to treasure their Alex Monroe jewellery for a lifetime. However, as with anything often worn and much loved, there may come a time when your jewellery will be in need of a little TLC. Our cost-effective Repairs and Reconditioning service allows us to fix and revive older pieces of Alex Monroe jewellery, to extend their lifespan, value, and your enjoyment. Anything we cannot repair is always recycled by our workshop.

Sterling Silver & 18ct Gold

Our ‘main’ Alex Monroe collections are made in 925 sterling silver, with an option of a yellow or rose Gold-plated finish. Our ‘fine’ jewellery is made in 18ct solid yellow, white and rose gold.

Our material suppliers in the UK work with Cookson Gold - a part of the Heimerle + Meulle Group. Heimerle + Meulle are a German company specialising in precious metals, 60% of which is recycled, with the other 40% mined in the EU. Heimerle + Meulle are approved by LMBA, the global authority on precious metals, and adhere to their ethical code of conduct. Whilst we are satisfied with our current supply chain ethics, we are committed to pressing for the utmost transparency from our suppliers wherever we can.

Fairmined Gold

Our 2021 collection Fables is the first Alex Monroe collection to use licensed Fairmined Gold plating. This is a global accredited standard which means that the gold used in the plating of this collection has been exclusively sourced from responsibly managed community mines - namely the Iquira Mine in the Huila region of Columbia. From September 2021, every new piece of plated Alex Monroe jewellery made, will use licensed Fairmined gold.

Created by the Alliance for Responsible Mining, Fairmined is an assurance label that certifies gold from empowered, responsible, artisanal and small-scale mining organizations. It transforms mining into an active force for good, ensuring social development and environmental protection, in a traditionally poverty-driven and destructive industry.

Precious metals have always been recycled, long before the term was even invented - the thought of wasting even the smallest amount of Silver or Gold would be unthinkable to any jeweller! Throughout the year, we gather up unusable ‘sprues’ created during the casting process, snapped chains, odd links, broken castings, and even the microparticles of dust created by sawing, filing, smoothing and polishing. Whilst we are unable to reuse this precious waste ourselves, it is sent to be recycled, where it will eventually re-circulate into the industry as hallmarked metal.

Our main supplier of white diamonds is Clark Diamonds, a UK based company whose stones all comply with the Kimberley Process. If you are concerned about Diamonds originating from Russia, we have plenty of options where we can trace the country of origin with 100% certainty. As part of our offering, we use naturally coloured Champagne Diamonds, which are responsibly sourced from the Argyle Mine in Western Australia, and offer both Ocean and Lab-grown Diamonds through our Bespoke Service.

In 2021 we created a series of One of Kind rings using stones sourced from Ocean Diamonds - a pioneering supplier working exclusively with professional divers to source diamonds from the seabeds around Namibia and South Africa, with minimal environmental impact. Ocean Diamonds trace the journey of every diamond from the diver to its final owner - a transparent supply chain which ensures the provenance of their diamonds is ethically sourced and conflict-free.

The subject of lab-grown Diamonds is one of much debate, but if you are interested in exploring options outside of conventional mining methods, we can offer stones from The Diamond Foundry - a highly responsible option and the world’s first diamond producer to be certified with a zero carbon footprint. The Diamond Foundry’s production is based in Washington State and powered by the Columbia River using renewable hydroelectric power.

The Sapphires in our Fine Jewellery are sourced by our long-term supplier Wennick-Lefévre, who use responsible mining techniques in Madagascar, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Sri Lanka, and plant a tree for every single stone sold.

Unlike the majority of Sapphires in the marketplace, W-L Sapphires do not undergo radiation or industrial treatments to intensify their hue. Each stone is pure, untreated, and therefore of the highest quality - with it’s unique and complex colour profile exactly as it was taken from the ground. With their experience in the business of precious gemstones combined with the knowledge of what this can often entail, their ethos as a company is to ‘never trade gemstones that have in any way led to human misery’.

Our sterling silver and gold-plated collections have always featured a variety of pearls, diamonds and gemstones - to enhance our designs by adding a sparkle, or a pop of colour. But the reality is that sadly, we are unable to guarantee the responsible sourcing of many of these stones.

In reviewing our practises in 2021, we made the decision to no longer design pieces using gemstones unless we are happy with their provenance. Going forwards, any gemstones used will be responsibly sourced.

We will continue to use any gemstones and beads already held in stock within our company on existing styles, to ensure that these materials are not wasted.

Alex Monroe 18ct Gold Fine Jewellery encompasses our collection pieces, Limited Edition and One of a Kind styles and our Bespoke service. We have been making a concerted effort to ensure that the majority of stones purchased for use across our Fine Jewellery range are responsibly sourced for some time now, and are committed to continuing this into the future.

Exceptions may be stones bought in the past to achieve a certain price point, or the occasional use of gemstones from our stone archives where the exact source is unknown - however, we would always rather use these stones than leave them untouched. We are continually working to ensure that all precious gemstones used in our 18ct gold fine jewellery are responsibly sourced, with a certified or transparent supply chain.

An ethical gemstone collaboration founded in Tanzania to specifically support and empower female miners in the assurance of their gemstones from mine to market. We worked with Moyo Gems in March 2020 to create a One of Kind Rhodolite Garnet Ring in celebration of International Women’s Day, and we continue to offer their gemstones through our Bespoke Service,

Gemstones Brazil

Gemstones Brazil own and operate several small mines in Brazil’s Jequitinhonha Valley in the state of Minas Gerais and adhere to stringent Brazilian laws which ensure that all gemstone extraction will be of benefit to local people, making use of responsible mining practises that will not damage the environment. In 2020, we made use of emeralds sourced by Gemstones Brazil to create a Limited Edition series of Beekeeper Rings.

We are keen to help create change within the jewellery industry, so if you are a jeweller yourself, and would like more details, do get in touch. We are always happy to share our contacts!

Alex and our Design team regularly visit the Ethical Gem Fair in London to source stones from a diverse range of small-scale, purpose-led gemstone suppliers who are committed to transparency & the support of artisanal miners around the world. These special stones are used in our One of Kind and Limited Edition pieces and are offered through our Bespoke Service.

Workshop Safety

The craft of gold and silversmithing involves the use of tools, heat and chemicals. Our two workshops have been purpose built with health and safety considerations at the forefront, and we have stringent procedures in place to ensure the protection of our bench jewellers, and minimise our environmental impact. This includes a filtered ventilation system, the provision of protective equipment and the proper disposal of industrial solution waste.

In 2021 we took the decision to phase out heat-treated Sapphires from our fine jewellery collections, and re-set our existing Sapphire jewellery styles with W-L stones. The durability of Sapphires means that they can be successfully removed and reused, so in this vein, they were donated to students at the British Academy of Jewellery to be used in our collaborative educational project promoting sustainability in the British jewellery industry - “Adaptability, Versatility, Longevity”.