Kerstin Laibach Ethical Jewellery logo

 

Entirely Handmade Ethical Wedding, Engagement and Partnership Rings
only from Sustainable Recycled Precious Metals and Gems

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To Events and Exhibition Full Details
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Ethical Jewellery Gift Voucher
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dotOnly recycled precious metals and not directly mined and therefore no further displacement of fragile eco-systems.
dotLocally-gathered surface stones.
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Cruelty-free and suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
dot15% of profits donated to wildlife protection and re-naturing - also land-care education in developing countries.
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A genuine approach to chemical-hazard-free crafting.
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No plating. No casting. Nothing designed or made with computer software.
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Carbon-inverted targets (Dedicated to putting more back into nature than taking from it).
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Every detail handmade by Laibach.
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No greenwash answers to customer questions.
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No newly-mined gems ... ever.
dotAtelier Laibach is the first jewellery maker worldwide to use
The  About The NOVA Key Ethical Label Key ethical label.

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Atelier Laibach jewellery pouch
Your Laibach jewellery piece comes in our own handmade pouch made with bamboo, raffia and vegan sealing wax.

LAIBACH ATELIER MAIN SITE » ETHICAL WEDDING RING SERVICE » ETHICAL CLARITY

Ethical Wedding and Relationship Rings

Ethical Clarity: Never any Greenwash.

Kerstin Laibach takes a truly green ethical path when hand-making your wedding and relationship rings.

Greenwashing is rife in the jewellery industry.
It is therefore important that clients recognise
the absolute genuineness of Atelier Laibach's principles.
Kerstin Laibach's bridal jewellery service offers the most environmentally tuned choice possible ... absolute ethical clarity, and without compromise...

dotOnly recycled precious metals and not directly mined and therefore no further displacement of fragile ecosystems.
dotOnly antique precious stones or lab-created diamonds ... no newly-mined gems ... ever.
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Cruelty-free and suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
dot15% of profits donated to wildlife protection and re-naturing - also land-care education in developing countries.
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No greenwash answers to customer questions.
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A genuine approach to chemical-hazard-free crafting.
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Carbon-inverted targets (Dedicated to putting more back into nature than taking from it).
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Nothing is factory cast ... no plating. Not designed or made by computer software
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Purely earth-friendly and earth-returnable.

Kerstin Laibach only uses sustainable recycled precious metals.

Laibach Path Rings - Only 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. Copyright
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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ETHICAL WEDDING AND PARTNERSHIP RINGS MENU

Wedding and Partnership Examples
Wedding Home and Introduction

Ethical Clarity
Gold or Silver Band Rings?
Bridesmaids and Other Jewellery for Your Wedding
About Plating
Vegan Friendly
Gem Choices
Engraving
Rejuvenation
Precious Metal Allergies
Ordering and Sizing
Bridal Jewellery Consultation Service