In April, I attended the Fair Luxury Open House to talk about all things ethical jewellery and learn more about the Fair Luxury Pledge. The pledge encourages those in the jewellery industry to make positive changes, big or small, towards a more responsible business.

Since the beginning of Kirsten Manzi Jewellery, I have been interested in ethical making and have always worked towards having an ethical jewellery practice.

When writing my dissertation, I learned about the environmental impact of mining precious metals and the social injustices faced by miners and their communities. At the time, I wasn't sure how I could make changes as a new small business and felt very overwhelmed. Luckily there is much more information and support around ethical jewellery available now and I've taken many small steps towards a more responsible jewellery business:

• Using 100% recycled metals wherever possible

• Registering as a Fairtrade Jeweller and offering Fairtrade precious metals for wedding rings and commissions

• Reducing the use of toxic chemicals in my studio

• Attending ethical jewellery symposiums and events

• Switching to sustainable boxes

• Using renewable energy

• Asking suppliers about products and more ethical and sustainable alternatives

Ethical jewellery isn't an all or nothing approach, it's an ongoing journey and is never perfect. As part of the journey, this month I made my Fair Luxury Pledge:

Over the next few months, I'll be researching ways that my business can give back. That might be through offsetting the business carbon footprint, charitable donations or contributing to reforestation. I have a couple of things in mind and will be documenting this ongoing journey on my blog.

If you have any ideas or would like to chat about ethical jewellery, please get in touch.