HOW IT WORKS
You describe your project with as much info as possible plus give a max. budget.
We exchange ideas about design, materials, timeline etc. on the phone or in person.
We produce your pieces with fair and sustainably sourced gold & gemstones.
We design and you receive detailed drawings and prices for your confirmation.
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EXAMPLE PROJECTS
A SELECTION OF PROJECTS:
Your initials, coat of arms or a symbol that unites your family. For now and over generations.
FAMILY PIECES
PROJECT: FAMILY INITIALS
18k gold pendant with diamonds on long 18K gold necklace
925 silver pendant as centerpiece to charm necklace
18K gold pendant with diamonds on silk band & mother of peal clasp
925 silver cufflinks with toggle back clasp
PROJECT: ELIZA
Best Friends, Sisters, Brothers, Soulmates, Anniversaries...
What is your story?
COUPLES JEWELRY
PROJECT: SISTER BOND
925 silver ring in leaf shape with iceblue moon stone water drop
925 silver ring in leaf shape with green turmalin water drop
PROJECT: SOULMATES
Her: Handcrafted pure 18K gold ring, brown & green round cut tourmaline
Him: 925 silver eternal bond bangle, brown & green round cut tourmaline
BUY AWARE.
Recycled Materials
from exsisting jewelry, industrial use metals, electronic components
River Gold
from Germany or South America (OROVERDE or ECOANDIA)
Faitrade & Faimined
Tracable sustainale small-scale mines
WHY SUSTAINABLE JEWELLRY ?
Annual gold production from mining amounts to 3245 tons, half of which is used for jewellry.
The production of ONE GOLD RING creates over 20 TONS OF MINE WASTE which equals the WEIGHT OF 3 ELEPHANTS.
LABOUR
Tunnel collapses, falling rocks, and underground fires make mining for precious metals and gems a highly dangerous occupation. Hundreds of miners have died in accidents in South African gold mines alone.
CORRUPTION
Despite their mineral wealth, local mining communities live in extreme poverty while corrupt governments reap the profits. In Zimbabwe, President Mugabe uses diamond revenues to keep the military & corrupt regime loyal.
Children as young as five years old are forced into dangerous jobs in gold and diamond mining. An estimated one million children work as gold miners for little to no pay.
ENVIRONMENT
MERCURY POLLUTION
Gold mining is the world's leading cause of man-made mercury pollution, devastating the environment and poisoning local air and water supplies.
Cyanide used to extract gold often contaminates the surrounding environment. In one devastating spill in Romania, more than 100k gallons of cyanide-laced waste poisoned the drinking water of millions of people.
The majority of the world’s gold is extracted from open pit mines, where huge volumes of earth are processed for trace elements. In Peru alone 64,000 acres of amazon rainforest were burnt and stripped down 50 feet.
The environmental disaster gold industry:
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/environmental-disaster-gold-industry-180949762/
The myth of ethical gold:
https://newint.org/features/2014/09/01/myth-ethical-gold
Eco vs. Ethical vs. Recycled Gold:
http://www.amalena.com/eco-gold-vs-ethical-gold-vs-recycled-jewellery/
READ MORE:
VIOLENCE
Militias use horrific violence to maintain control in mining regions. In Zimbabwe, security forces use dog attacks and shootings to punish illegal miners.
RAPE & TORTURE
Not only in the Congo, heavily armed rebel groups fight to exploit the country's mineral resources. These groups gain power by terrorizing villages with fires, torture, and violent sexual attacks.
POVERTY
Most miners live in extreme poverty, forced to sell to middle-men at bargain prices. There are over one million diamond diggers in Africa earning less than a dollar a day
COMMUNITY
CONTACT :
GET YOUR PROJECT STARTED
WHO IS THIS PROJECT FOR?
Give us an idea of who are you or the people you want to give the jewelry to? Tell us just whatever is needed to grasp this person, e.g. age, profession, hobbies, photos of favourite jewelry pieces..
WHAT'S THE STORY BEHIND IT?
Is there a specific reason or event, that you want this the jewelry to remind you or the receiver of? A journey, birth, anniversary, an emotion ...
PREFERRED MATERIAL OR STYLE?
Do you already have some ideas? Send us links & screenshots of things you or the receiver like!
HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT TO SPEND?
Give us a max. budget or a range. We will discuss more in the next step & you will receive final prices for your confirmation.
SEND IT TO: contact@valeria-k.com
You can describe with words or drawings, insert screenshots & images, links to dropbox, wetransfer or public instagram profiles and websites.