Did you know…
That a single gold ring leaves in its wake, on average, 20 tons of mine waste?
That Cyanide and other deadly toxic chemicals are used to separate gold from waste rock?
That Gold mining uses a lot of water. The average gold mine uses enough water to provide the basic water needs for a population equivalent to that of a large U.S. city for a year?
These facts from No Dirty Gold were the impetus behind creating the new, transparent eco friendly, eco committed, jewelry company, Real Jewels. Designed for the person who wants to do the right thing and look fabulous doing it, Real Jewels is where style meets substance. In this new era of ethical consumerism, shoppers are looking for ways to indulge their sense of fashion while keeping their conscience intact.
As a mother and businessperson, the founder and CEO Ilia McCormick feels a real sense of personal responsibility to help protect the environment for now and for future generation to come. Ilia believes that one person really can make a difference and it does not take much. “All of us need to think about the choices we make on a daily basis. The oil spill in the Gulf has made us all acutely aware of the environment. Our sensitive eco system will always be in the balance and under threat of the actions of man if we carelessly continue to behave in an irresponsible manner.”
Ilia has spent her career in retail jewelry working for stores like Bloomingdale’s, Fortunoff and Tourneau and GoldAvenue. While at GoldAvenue, whose parent company AngloGold -Ashanti, she spent five years on and off working in South Africa developing collections of high karat fashion gold jewelry for the US and Europe. While there she learned about responsible mining, refining and labor practices. That experience created shift in her thinking and was the catalyst behind creating a responsible brand of fine jewelry. She spent another next year researching recycled precious metals, fair trade and sustainable gems before launching Real Jewels. “As a former buyer I was never made aware of the origin of the precious metals I was purchasing for the companies fro which I worked. The truth is, I do not even think that the manufacturers knew either. Now that I have been made aware of the hazards of irresponsible mining and refining, I feel it is important to disseminate that information to our customers. I believe if the consumer is given a choice, they will choose wisely and for the environment. ”
Real Jewels exclusively uses 100% certified recycled precious metals, such as gold and silver that comes from reclaimed sources, from industry, computer parts and old jewelry.Their precious and semi precious stones that are fair- traded. To confirm that all the gems they sell have been handled in accordance with fair trade gems protocols, their supplier maintains complete chain of custody documentation. They know how the gems were cut and polished, by whom and whether the gem was enhanced. The diamonds in Real Jewels are Kimberly processed certified and conflict –free. The 14 and 18 karat gold plated pieces they produce are all nickel-free. Real Jewels supports the local economy by manufacturing their jewelry in New York City in small family run businesses. They do not outsource any of their manufacturing to large, off shore factories where they cannot control wages and labor practices. All packaging materials are made of FSC- certified, 100% recycled, 100% post-consumer waste, chlorine -free paper. Real Jewels uses soy-based ink for all of their printing. Vegetable-based inks offer a safer work environment for production staff by reducing harmful fumes and voc emissions. Even the cleaning products they use are eco -friendly Melaleuca products.
By design, Real Jewels is not about a single look or design, but is a seasonal collection of jewelry. From the classic initial pendants to the fashionable oversized Real Light earrings, there is something for everyone. Real Jewels believes that jewels are not only gems from the earth but people words, relationships, and of course nature are the other true real jewels. That said, Real Jewels strives to make jewelry that is always respectful of the environment and the people who make it. It is jewelry that celebrates how you choose to live your life.
Ilia is especially partial to the Real Light Collection because it speaks to her personally. As a student of American Decorative Arts she wanted to create something that allowed light to pass though the jewelry in a similar way to 18th century pierced tin lamps. To make the designs more exotic, she borrowed the influence of Turkish grillwork and Moroccan lighting fixtures. The result? A real hybrid of design influences; Marrakech meets Istanbul meets Colonial Williamsburg. Crazy, but it seems to work well.
Overall, Real Jewels is inspired by the runway, contemporary and historic architecture, interior design and of course, nature. The design teams loves to be able to create jewelry that is truly a design confluence between of -the -moment fashion and an entirely different medium such as architecture. It keeps the designs fresh and everyone on his toes!
Ilia is proud of the strides her company has made in such a short period of time. Real Jewels recently received an A rating from the Washington DC based environmental group Earthworks on their commitment to responsible practices in the jewelry industry. Real Jewels has signed the No Dirty Gold Pledge, Save Bristol Bay, is a member of Green America, The Responsible Jewellery Council and is a Madison Dialogue participant. “The people I have met on my eco journey have been incredibly helpful and I am grateful for their guidance and the generous way in which they have embraced and supported my new endeavor.”
Ilia looks forward to continuing to spread the word on green through her company’s commitment, their fashionable, wearable jewelry and the consumer’s desire to do the right thing.
You can find Real Jewels on line at www.real-jewels.com
[This is a guest post from Ilia. If you would like to write a guest post for We Heart Life, please contact Carly for more information.]
