Sustainability

My goal is to create beautiful jewelry while having minimal impact on the environment, animals, and people. I hope to make jewelry that people will enjoy wearing for a lifetime.

I am happy to repair, repolish, or re-oxidize any piece purchased from me for a small fee. Please contact me for more information. I’ve also put together a few jewelry care tips here.

Recycled metals

I use 100% recycled sterling silver from non-mined sources, such as broken jewelry, silverware, and dental scrap.

Any machine-made chains I use are at least 99% recycled sterling silver. I use a mix of recycled and non-recycled sterling silver findings (earring backs, posts, & jump rings). I am in the process of sourcing recycled sterling silver findings for all my pieces.

Sustainable packaging

Most of the packaging I use is made of recycled materials and/or is recyclable.

My jewelry boxes are made from FSC®-certified cardboard and water-based glue. The inserts are FSC®-certified cardboard with a topcoat made from viscose. My longer necklace/bracelet boxes have a Tall oil foam insert, which is not recyclable. Tall oil is a by-product of paper production and a greener option than traditional foam, which is derived from crude oil.

Jewelry boxes are wrapped in compostable tissue paper. Some orders also include a reusable organic or fairtrade cotton bag to store your jewelry.

All orders are shipped in recyclable and biodegradable boxes with recyclable shipping labels and paper tape.

Black jewelry box imprinted Metal Thief Handmade Jewelry

Vegan-friendly

All of my jewelry is vegan-friendly. This means that I do not use any animal-derived materials in my jewelry or to make my jewelry.

Animal fat, leather, beeswax, and other animal by-products are commonly used in the making of jewelry. From the start I made the conscious choice to not use these items. I do not use any animal-derived materials (leather, pearls, beeswax), tools (leather mallets), or polishing compounds to create my jewelry.

I am always striving to improve my sustainability practices. Please contact me if you have any questions or suggestions for furthering my efforts. I would love to hear from you.

Stack of black and white jewelry boxes imprinted with Metal Thief Handmade Jewelry
Chain necklace draped over a white jewelry box imprinted with Metal Thief