Metals
The majority of our jewellery is made using Sterling Silver, usually
with the option of being plated with
Fairmined Gold with a thickness of 2 microns. Silver always has, and always will be reused and recycled, and
the Silver we use to make our pieces is
100% recycled.
We use the term ‘Fine Jewellery’ to refer to pieces we make from
solid, precious metals such as 18ct Yellow, White and Rose Gold, and
occasionally Platinum.
Most of the 18ct Gold we use in our fine jewellery collections
consists of a
minimum of 70% recycled metal. We
also offer selected styles in Certified Fairmined Gold.
Read More About The Metals We Use
Certified Fairmined Gold
Since September 2021 every piece of
Gold-plated that we've made at Alex Monroe Jewellery, is done so
with licensed Fairmined Gold. Created by the Alliance for
Responsible Mining, Fairmined is a global, accredited standard that
certifies Gold from responsibly managed artisanal and small-scale
community mines and can be traced accordingly.
The mining of Gold can traditionally be a very poverty-driven and
destructive industry, so for us, using Fairmined Gold is a proactive
way of both empowering social development and supporting better
environmental practices.
Further Reading About Fairmined Gold
Gemstones
We use a beautiful array of precious and semi-precious gemstones to
enhance our designs with sparkle and colour.
Our main supplier of coloured gemstones is
Wennick-Lefévre who we
work closely with to select sapphires for our Fine Jewellery
collections. Wennick-Lefévre use responsible mining techniques in
Madagascar and Sri Lanka, alongside paying fairly for both stones
and wages. Their positive impact is furthered by
planting a tree for every stone sold,
to help combat deforestation caused by irresponsible practices.
Other gemstones we work with are sourced through: Nineteen 48,
Moyo Gems, Ancients 17 and
Fairtrade Gems. We make a conscious effort to ensure that any stones
we purchase are responsibly sourced. Sadly, it may not always be
possible to guarantee the provenance of all the stones we use, as
certified or transparent supply chains are still not commonplace.
Please get in touch if you have any questions or concerns regarding
a specific stone or piece.
Read More
Diamonds
You will find diamonds used in both our mainline and fine jewellery
collections. Best known in their colourless or white form we also
use a range of naturally coloured diamonds such as Champagne and
Cognac.
All of our Diamonds are sourced from trusted suppliers and comply
with the Kimberley Process. Whilst we make a conscious effort to
ensure that any diamonds we purchase are responsibly sourced,
unfortunately, it is often not possible to guarantee the provenance
of the diamonds we use.
As an alternative supply chain, we are proud to offer
Ocean Diamonds, a pioneering
company working exclusively with professional divers to source
diamonds from the seabeds around Namibia and South Africa, with
minimal environmental impact.
The subject of lab-grown Diamonds may be one of much debate, but
provides an option outside of conventional mining. We can offer
stones from carbon neutral
The Diamond Foundry via our Bespoke
service.
We remain committed to pursuing responsible sourcing for all of the
gemstones we use in the future, but in the meantime, please get in
touch if you have any questions or concerns regarding a specific
piece.
Read More
Our Workshops
Alex worked closely with architects DSDHA on our two purpose-built
Design and production buildings to ensure the utmost social and
environmental consideration.
Building our own spaces has meant that we have health and safety
considerations at the forefront, as the craft of gold and
silversmithing often involves the use of tools, heat and chemicals.
From the provision of protective equipment and correct disposal of
solution waste to filtered ventilation systems, stringent procedures
are in place to ensure the protection of our bench jewellers, and
minimise our environmental impact.
