Italian jewelry has always been synonymous with elegance, artisanal craftsmanship, and prestige. Recently, Italian brands have been striving to combine sustainability with luxury, thanks to a growing environmental and social awareness. Also, clients have become more responsible, and are looking for ethical jewelry based on solid sustainable principles.
One cornerstone of sustainability in Italian jewelry is the use of eco-friendly materials. Companies are adopting responsible practices in selecting raw materials, opting for metals and gemstones from ethical and certified sources. For instance, Italian jewelers are supporting the use of recycled gold from reliable sources, thus reducing the environmental impact of mining. Similarly, gemstones sourced from certified mines, where safe working conditions and fair wages are guaranteed, are being utilized.
Italian jewelry is renowned for its heritage of artisanal craftsmanship passed down through generations. This artisanal tradition presents an opportunity for sustainability as it promotes local production and reduces the environmental impact associated with transportation. Many Italian jewelry companies are embracing a philosophy of local production, working with local artisans and streamlining the supply chain. This results in increased transparency, quality control, and a reduced environmental footprint.
Yet sustainability in Italian jewelry goes beyond material choices. Companies are committed to reducing their environmental impact in all aspects of their operations, adopting more energy-efficient practices, minimizing waste, and investing in low-carbon technologies. Furthermore, they are partnering with local communities to ensure environmental stewardship and support for local populations. This may include promoting mine rehabilitation programs, supporting education and vocational training for workers, and implementing corporate social responsibility initiatives.
Eéra Jewels, an Italian brand launched in 2019 in Milan, started with a simple but brilliant idea: Chiara Capitani and Romy Blanga discovered a simple snap hook habitually used for industrial applications in a vintage market in Tokyo and they transformed it into playful high jewelry in fluorescent hues and angular lines. The signature product of Eéra is a the snap hook design that may be found on rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets: its innovative functional spring mechanism offers wearers endless styling opportunities to reflect their personal style by linking several snap hooks together, adding dangling chains or even combining them with jewels they already own. For the two friends and founders, sustainability is very important and their production is eco-friendly: for instance, the accessories are made of eco brass and the leather that they use is vegetable tanned.
FOPE, a brand present in Vicenza since 1929, was among the first to launch a sustainability program through the Treedom project.
This project aims to neutralize CO2 emissions.
For every purchase made by customers, new trees are planted.
FOPE’s corporate choices are driven by a spirit of social responsibility from sourcing raw materials to quality control, from production to the shipping of the jewelry worldwide. They recently installed solar panels in their Vicenza headquarters and new company policies have been implemented to meet the highest environmental standards.
Gismondi 1754 is a company with a history going back seven generations, led today by Massimo Gismondi, the creative mind and CEO.
This brand has developed a unique style in which love for beauty, originality of design, and perfectly calculated asymmetries amaze and fascinate anyone who comes into contact with their art pieces.
Massimo and his family were born in Liguria and have always been in love with the sea and nature and concerned about preserving the environment.
They also support charity projects such as helping needy children through the sale of a bracelet called Prìa de Mä. This bracelet is made by Gismondi 1754 with the collaboration of children who research in the beach “precious stones” to help the smallest, the newborn ones.
Excellence and exploration of novel forms combined with profound respect for the environment: these are the elements that distinguish Verdi‘s jewelry.
Attributes that are particularly prominent in collections crafted with coral, a natural resource that bestows vitality upon remarkable and contemporary pieces surpassing current trends to become enduring classics, suitable for all occasions. Coral symbolizes the essence of the Mediterranean, exuding warmth and preciousness. However, beyond aesthetics and uniqueness, what imparts even greater worth to Verdi’s coral creations is their eco-friendly nature. The Valenza-based company has embarked on the path of ecological sustainability by employing a coral variant acquired through an intricate synthesis process, ensuring a product that remains unaltered throughout the years that does not harm the invaluable equilibrium of the coral reef.
New York-based jewelry designer Renato Cipullo was born in a small town near Naples and belongs to a family of goldsmiths.
The influence of Italy is evident in his works and his source of inspiration is often the Mediterranean Sea and its creatures such as corals and shells.
Cipullo’s gold is 100/100 recycled and all his works of art are ethically sourced and made with environmental consciousness.
By Laura Astrologo Porché
