Never have I ever been complimented on a necklace so much. Honestly! People have been so kind about this lovely gifted necklace every time I wear it (which has been pretty frequently, I must admit). The chain is really well made and doesn't irritate my sensitive skin at all - plus the design pays homage to vintage / art deco style in such a unique way. I very much adore it.
But let's back up a little shall we...
I'm pretty vocal on my channel and socials about the ethics of fast fashion. The materials, energy & labour that goes into creating pieces that lack quality & therefore are disposed of pretty rapidly. But what about jewellery?
Until relatively recently, I had not properly considered the disposable nature of a lot of the jewellery I've purchased. When I was younger I would go through oodles of Primark plastic pearls, lots of tacky Topshop sale-rail rings and nickel necklaces. They wore really badly and (retrospectively) were just a waste of money and resources.
Nowadays, I'm much more picky when it comes to jewellery because my skin is very sensitive. This a very annoying and majorly pretentious sensitivity to have - I struggle with wearing various metals and low-carat gold even. Like I say, this didn't used to stop me wearing cheap rings and necklaces. My neck would itch and my fingers would turn a mouldy green shade - but style over comfort eh? I had no funds to invest in proper jewellery back then. No drive to purchase the classy stuff that didn't make my neck red-raw with itching & ears bleed from the cheap metal. Am I painting a pretty picture for you here?
But another aspect of jewellery that hadn't dawned on me was the story behind the people who make the jewellery. I don't know how I thought these things were produced to be honest - I guess I just assumed they were made by machines? How mad to think that was my assumption and that I wasn't interested in asking any further questions as long as I could have the end product... In reality, the jewellery industry remains pretty hidden and massively sketchy. I'm talking about brands that are a bit more up-market than Primark now, the pricey and more 'prestigious' brands. I'm all for investing in pieces and making them last, but still there are very few jewellery companies that have credentials on their ethics and sustainability. It remains an unknown part of the jewellery business for many consumers.
Lucky for us, there is one particular brand that is wonderfully transparent about their practices. The above necklace is by the brand Sacet (pronouced sah-set). I've previously mentioned this brand in a favourites video when I featured a pair of thier Lujia North East earrings (though I mistakenly pronounced the brand sa-ket because I'm an uncultured swine..).
Sacet create amazing jewellery that is both ethically and sustainably made. They use 100% recycled metals, ethically polished diamonds & gemstones. They even grow their own diamonds to ensure they are conflict-free! The necklace and bracelet above both feature the Ornate Geometric Pendant in 18K Gold Vermeil on Sterling Silver. The colourful stones in this piece are Malachite, Citrine & Rhodolite.
Every product I've tried from Sacet has come beautifully (but sustainably) packaged in cardboard boxes with individual cloth bags. They work with various designers with different artistic tastes so they can provide a wide variety of styles on their site - from vintage-looking pieces like the one in this blogpost to more simple and edgier jewellery as well.
Every product I've tried from Sacet has come beautifully (but sustainably) packaged in cardboard boxes with individual cloth bags. They work with various designers with different artistic tastes so they can provide a wide variety of styles on their site - from vintage-looking pieces like the one in this blogpost to more simple and edgier jewellery as well.
What I find really interesting and unique about Sacet is how they break down the journey of the piece of jewellery you receive. Their business purposely links the final product you receive to the maker of that piece (Anyone in the audience tonight familiar with Marx's theory of alientation?! No? Just me? Alrighty. As you were.) If you're new around here, I studied business at uni with a particular interest in sustainability and corporate social responsibility [which is often referred to as CSR]. For this reason, I am a huge fan of Sacet's ethos when say they prioritise people, planet and profit in a balanced way. These three P's are the three pillars of CSR and by considering the stakeholders who fall into these three categories, brands can improve their ethics and give back to the world in both a socially and economically sustainable way. Sacet make an effort to give names, faces and credit to their designers and craftspeople both in the leaflet that comes with each purpose and online here https://www.sacet.com/craftsmen. They provide fair pay and collaborative and safe working conditions which connect people who have a passion for craftsmanship. It's very heartwarming and something every brand should strive to achieve too.
This set really is a work of art and I'm sure would make such an amazing present for any jewellery lover in your life. What with Christmas around the corner, if you're thinking of getting a special someone some jewellery this year, I couldn't recommend Sacet enough!
To educate yourself more on the ethics of the jewellery industry, please check out Sacet's website here: https://www.sacet.com/jewellery-with-a-purpose. It's really informative and well worth a read. Thanks again to Sacet for the kind gift in exchange for a review. I'm a big fan.
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