Social Impact

I stand with and will continue to fight for Black, NBIPOC, LGTBQ rights, and women’s rights. I am committed to working closely with other organizations and individuals to work towards dismantling systemic racism and advocating for equitable systems in the jewelry industry and society at large. I donate monthly to anti-racist organizations that are working towards racial and gender equity in the arts including Crafting The Future, We Wield the Hammer, the ACLU, OUT Boulder, and the Human Rights Campaign.

COMMITMENT

Building a responsible and sustainability focused business requires deep commitment, a focus on education, not shying away from the inherent complexities, and slowing down the process. I know I will likely make mistakes, but I am 100% committed to collaborating on creative solutions and prioritizing the environment and marginalized communities over growth. Please reach out if you have any questions or ideas, especially if you have any thoughts on ways my business can improve and become more sustainable. Let’s start the dialogue!

 

As a lover of humans and the planet, it is imperative that my business builds towards minimizing environmental impact and eliminating human harm all the way up and down the supply chain. These principles are at the heart and core of Avery Lee.

Materials

  • Reclaimed Metals: metal that was previously used in jewelry, and other industries, that is refined and then re-sold.

    I work primarily with U.S. refineries that are either certified with SCS Certified 100% recycled metal, and or share the same high standards for minimizing environmental impact.

While there are obvious benefits to working with recycled metals, the downside is it is hard to know where metals come from before they are recycled at these refineries. There is a growing awareness that some of these recycled metals originate from illegal mining operations. Illegal mining operations rarely meet environmental standards and have a history of harmful human rights violations. This issue has driven me to seek out other solutions and work with organizations that are insuring clear traceability, happy and sustainable work conditions for the humans involved, and much much more. One solution is to work with small-scale responsible mines.

  • Fairmined Gold: Gold mined from responsible Small-scale and Artisanal mines in Colombia and Peru.

    All mines go through a rigorous 3rd party certification system to become “Fairmined” which demands strict requirements and high environmental and social standards. Take a look below for additional info. I love knowing that buying “Fairmined” means I am directly working towards empowering and supporting a large network of miners, their families, their communities, and working towards changing ethical standards in the greater industry.

Stones: Clear traceability and sourcing responsibly is my highest priority when working with gemstones. Responsible sourcing means asking the right questions, only working with companies and humans that share the same ethics and standards that I do. All gemstones I work with are either certified as conflict-free, traceable back to the exact mines, and or are reclaimed from previous jewelry.

  • Semi-precious stones: I like to purchased slabs and rough directly from mines and miners in the Untied States and in Australia. 98% of the Stones found in the Stone Stackers, Nix Earrings, Styx Studs, and Erato earrings were purchased directly through the miners and or a dealer working with the mines.

  • Antique, Reclaimed and Certified Post-Consumer Diamonds: There really is no such thing as an “ethical” diamond. I am choosing to work primarily with post-consumer and Antique Diamonds instead of newly mined and Lab-Created. Lab-Created Diamonds are potentially a good alternative, but because of the heavy environmental toll it takes to create them I would prefer to work with Diamonds already in circulation. Going beyond the label of “conflict free” is incredibly important to me and I am working towards better traceability for all the Salt & Pepper and natural Diamonds I work with.

    • Old Mine Cut Diamonds- cut between 1800 and the 1890s. Likely cut in Holland, Antwerp, or London (info from Perpetuum Jewels). Most Old Miner diamonds were likely sourced in Brazil. Diamonds were discovered in Africa in 1867.

  • Colored Faceted Gemstones: All colored gemstones are Fair Trade or responsibly sourced by a a company I found through “Ethical Metalsmiths”, who’s principles for sourcing include “environmental protection, cultural diversity, protecting worker's rights in the mining, cutting, and manufacturing processes, education, product integrity, and a fully transparent supply chain.

Marketing Materials

  • The shipping boxes I use are 100% recycled (95% post-consumer waste), curbside recyclable, and naturally biodegradable. I am working on converting all of my other paper products and marketing materials to 100% recycled. I use reusable rags in my studio and non-toxic chemicals for cleaning. My studio is surrounded by 3 sides of large windows, and we are working on converting all of our energy needs to Solar.