Sustainability of precious metal and gemstones in my jewellery
All Sheridan Kennedy jewellery pieces are created from sustainably sourced gold and silver.
I work with locally based company Palloys for sourcing metals and producing cast pieces. Palloys is the only Australian organisation certified by the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) as a jewellery manufacturer and wholesaler, and can trace its precious metal supply directly to the primary source.
All metals I use for hand fabrication are recycled by Palloys. The cast pieces use precious metal that Palloys sources directly from ethical Australian mines. Their focus on transparency and accountability in sourcing means obtaining environmentally friendly precious metal from guaranteed conflict-free areas in Australia. They are also committed to minimising the safety, environmental and health impacts throughout their supply chain through technological innovation such as world-leading environmentally conscious manufacturing waste disposal processes.
I am able to recycle your existing precious metal items, although due to the importance of metal quality in casting it is not possible to ensure that your new pieces are made directly from your original metals.
When it comes to gemstones, I do not use any diamonds from conflict-zones, and only choose diamonds that can be certified or traced to reliable sources.
The coloured gemstone industry operates very differently to the diamond industry with most coloured gems being mined and cut by small scale artisan producers in many parts of the world.
My Australian gemstones and crystals, such as sapphires and opals have been sourced directly from small scale miners.
It is challenging to trace the supply chains of any stones not mined in Australia, as they have often passed through many hands before arriving at my local gem merchants. However, I am committed to seeking ethical sources for gemstones wherever I can. This may not be at all possible if you are after a specific gem of a particular size and budget. As the demand grows for more transparency in the coloured gemstone supply chain, I’m confident that we will see more gemstone merchants asking questions of their suppliers about their supply chain, from mining operations through to cutting processes.
Recycling gemstones is also an ethical approach to sourcing gems. Many clients reuse gemstones that they have inherited, and even chipped or poorly cut stones can be made to shine brightly again through recutting. For this I use local, artisan gem cutters who are committed to producing quality work.