Kerstin
Laibach only uses sustainable recycled precious metals.
"Since
the launch of Fair-trade gold / platinum and their licensed
jewellers claiming "ethical", "green"
and "sustainable", I often have to clarify with
confused clients the genuine meaning of "sustainable"
"ethical" gold.
I do not and will never use "Fair-trade" gold
or platinum which is new-mined - causing further environmental
damage to the earth. So instead of new-mined precious
metals I only use recycled gold, platinum, palladium and
silver (just as pure) - and to help compensate damage
to the environment caused by mining I give 15% of profits
to environment/ wildlife protection and re-naturing projects,
including land-care restoration projects in developing
countries.
So not to confuse the two, I explain the difference between
recycling and fair-trade as concisely as possible:
"RECYCLING" means no more environmental disruption.
"FAIR-TRADE" means socially responsible fair pay.
These are entirely separate ethical issues ... two methods
of using precious metals for jewellery at completely different
ends of the "ethical" spectrum; "recycled" being
ecologically sustainable - and "fair-trade"
being sociologically remunerative.
The only justifiable and truly green ecological choice
for your wedding rings is to have them made in recycled
and not from new-mined precious metals. There is absolutely
no difference in quality, but there is a big difference
in the environmental consequences when unnecessarily using
newly-extracted precious metals and gems."
Kerstin Laibach
What
is the difference between recycled gold and new-mined
gold? ... and is there any quality difference?
(opens separate
window)
When you purchase a Laibach
jewellery piece you will be helping to protect wildlife
and the environment and also helping to lift subsistence
based communities in developing countries out of poverty
and away from the dependency and dead-end vortex of mining
- and the devastation it creates to their own homelands.
NO COMPUTER
SOFTWARE - NO PLATING - NO FINDINGS
Like all Laibach "Slow"
jewellery, every aspect of your ring will be naturally
handmade by Kerstin Laibach.
Nothing is designed with or made through computer software.
Kerstin Laibach uses her professional skills as a goldsmith
to hand-craft entirely holistically,
another aspect which defines Laibach rings as being perfect
for handfasting occassions.
If stones are involved, the Laibach design derives from
their shapes and subsequent creative flow ... a tactile
and instinctive "unfolding" of a design as it
is crafted; the human emotive which computers can never
replace.
First, your choice of recycled precious metal(s) is sourced
either from Laibach's fine quality refiner - or for the
most ethical alternative (and sentimental value), Kerstin
prefers to use your old precious metals from unwanted
family jewellery if found to be suitable for re-melting
and of no historical value. (This alternative old gold
reclaiming option does not involve aquiring recycled precious
metals from the refiner.) Kerstin then melts and forges
(hammers) a single piece of this metal into its initial
ring shape. With a combination of rolling, hammering,
soldering, layering and polishing, your ring eventually
takes its final shape and appearance. The end result is
a finely honed individual piece of jewellery which is
designed to wear for life; faithfully crafted without
using any animal-based derivatives or harmful chemicals
... and this also means it is not plated.
More here about plating
Kerstin Laibach "The
Path Between" rings entirely handforged in recycled,
silver, recycled palladium and recycled gold
Many jewellery
makers use "findings" when making their pieces. Findings
are factory-made parts such as chains, clasps, earring
clips and ring "blanks". Ring blanks (the ring
shank, which is basically the entire ring) are commonly
used as the basis for wedding bands. The manufactured
band (ring blank) is then decorated and plated
by the jeweller into its finished appearance and can even
be misleadingly presented as a handmade item. (The correct
term, so not to mislead should be "hand-finished".)
Findings can often be made from newly-mined precious metals,
and with no dependable traceability process, the best
solution for the environmentally aware, and for anyone
who wants rings genuinely made from start to finish, is
to source an ethical fine goldsmith who:
1. Crafts 100% of
a jewellery piece.
2. Only uses recycled precious metals.
Kerstin Laibach fits these criteria, and much more.
More
discussion about Laibach's genuinely ethical use of precious
metals
More
about colours and grades of precious metals
KEEPING YOU
INFORMED
Kerstin Laibach always maintains absolute ethical integrity
and this means clearly explaining to her customers regarding
every stage of her unique jewellery making process. To
find out more on this please read the Laibach
Principles
on the main Laibach website and follow through the related
pages.
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