Information and ethical preferences for Vegans relating to our jewellery creations.

Atelier Laibach takes every possible measure to ensure our jewellery creations are also suitable for more stringent vegan customers with specific crafting process requirements.

The following is a section from a VeggieGlobal article:

"In any manufacturing environment, including companies making vegan products, it is often unavoidable that the tools or machinery to make them may contain elements derived from animals. A moderate or orthodox vegan will not usually look so far into this moral maze. To do so would ultimately mean avoiding over half the daily items and comforts they are used to. All cars contain animal products, usually felt-based materials, as do a majority of house constructions. Many musical instruments like pianos, drums, wind and string instruments contain animal hair, skin and other animal derived elements. Does this mean that a vegan should not listen to music because it is played on instruments made with slaughtered animal derivatives? Most commercially bought vegetables are grown using manure fertilizer and animal derived compost; the manure being a by-product from farm animals reared for meat consumption and compost containing slaughtered animal carcass waste. If you want to ensure that the vegetables you eat are not associated with animal slaughter, you simply have to grow your own ... impossible for the millions of vegans who may not have gardens.
For vegans it is clearly unfortunate that humanity has evolved by utilizing the use of animals which become part of the very fabric of the dwellings, manufacturing processes, invisible product parts, arts and pastimes which we all take for granted and subsequently utilise or enjoy each day. However, to maintain a semblance of sanity we have little choice but to swallow the ethical dilemma, which has arisen through centuries of manufacturing development, left unchecked as to how it has contributed to animal suffering. This legacy of human evolution may not sit comfortably with strict vegans, who are essentially tied to a path which the world's industry and its dependent society has widely paved ... If such a path is completely avoided ... vegans would have to cover their ears from most music, live in wooden huts and simply not touch anything made from animals or has been made with tools containing animal derivatives. To avoid the onset of spiralling paranoia, triggered by such thoughts, most orthodox vegans will still quite understandably listen to a piano concerto ... and - until musical instruments are made cruelty-free - wisely spare themselves from the symptoms of hyper-morality."...
Reproduced with permission from an article by www.VeggieGlobal.com

A piece of jewellery is a style accessory and not an unavoidable requisite of day-to-day living.
Based on the global standard definition of orthodox veganism, none of Kerstin Laibach's jewellery contains any animal-derivatives. However, Atelier Laibach endeavours to create a work environment which goes a step further. Because Kerstin respects that some stricter vegans may not wish their jewellery to be made using any aspect of a tool derived from animals, we have researched, adapted and sourced workshop tools used to construct her jewellery, which to the very best of our knowledge are free of any animal products. However, after construction of a jewellery piece, the polishing process on some pieces may raise a moral issue for a small number of vegan customers. Although all our other polishing and buffing wheels are made of sisal or cotton - and we use specially obtained polishing paste free of animal fat - there is an essential goldsmith's preparatory polishing wheel which contains felt. This specifically prepares the foundation for a traditional glass finish to larger areas of a completed gold or silver piece (i.e. some ring interiors). There is no direct non-felt alternative available for this process; however we are currently experimenting with our own non-felt alternatives. With adaptations to a finished Laibach piece we are able to cater for the exact ethical polishing needs of ultra-strict vegans by offering alternative finishes, thus avoiding the use of a felt buff. If so, it will mean that your piece design will primarily have a matted finish with just small areas (edging etc.) polished to a glass shine (which can be done with a different, non-felt polishing head).
In addition, we have inherited approximately 12 old polishing heads of which we are not a hundred percent sure of their construction. These may or may not contain some felt. With all old, but still workable items, we prefer (for environmental efficiency) to use them until they are worn, rather than dispose of them prematurely. However, if you prefer that we do not use these legacy implements to polish your piece, please let us know and we will be happy to discuss and provide an alternative finish to your piece.

Our principles mean we give a completely honest answer about any ethical question relating to vegan requirements. We prefer to explain the more essential moral aspects of our creation process rather than hide any anomalies by simply not mentioning it ... We intend to offer our designs to the strictest vegan with a clear conscience. So, please let us know if you have any essential requirements regarding the construction of your piece when ordering.

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Atelier Laibach Principles - A Slow, Holistic Approach
Veg*n Inscribed Handmade pieces