You can look at, admire and wear your jewellery any time you want. Buying jewellery entails a lot of trust on the side of the customer. The customer trusts the jeweller implicitly to provide high-quality jewellery. Ornaments are treasured and kept for a long period as it takes time and money to acquire them. All these factors make it important that the ornaments are of high quality and the precious metals and stones used are ethically sourced by the retailers with a thoroughly checked supply chain. This ensures no indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources and fair wages to the manpower involved. Ethical jewellery is when all these conditions are met. Let us explore in detail about ethical jewellery below.
What is Ethical Jewellery?
Ethical jewellery is that jewellery whose entire manufacturing process from the source to the finished product is transparent and conducted properly and legally. The procuring of precious metals and stones is done from a sustainable source which includes no high and undue exploitation of natural resources. Also, the manpower including laborer’s to skilled craftsmen are compensated fairly for their efforts. The precious stones including diamonds should be completely traceable and be conflict-free. To be considered as manufacturers of ethical jewellery, all this information should be available on the website of the manufacturers and retailers. Reputed online retailers like AËLRA JOAILLERIE share this information on their websites. This information may include the following:
a. Information about the quality of the precious stones used in making jewellery.
b. If a certificate of authenticity is provided during purchase.
c. Whether jewellery is hallmarked.
d. Where the jewellery is manufactured.
e. Description of the production chain and if the whole process is known or checked by the company.
If the retailer provides all this information on the website, you can be sure that you are purchasing ethical jewellery.
The Origin of Diamonds
Diamonds are extracted deep inside the earth’s surface by digging mines kilometers under earth’s surface. Diamonds have also been found in river basins and under seas and oceans. Diamonds are millions and billions of years old and are a form of carbon. Diamonds are formed when immense pressure and time metamorphoses the carbon into a sparkling and radiant form. Diamonds are one of the hardest objects known to man.
The Mining
Diamonds are mined in many parts of the world, but major producers include Botswana and DRC from the African continent, Russia, Australia, and Canada. The most common way of extracting diamonds is through mining deep from the earth. This is done through digging and constructing a deep mine shaft with an immense corridor system. Diamonds are also extracted from the lake and river basins and ocean beds.
AËLRA JOAILLERIE purchases its diamonds from the source through its unique ‘mine-to-market process’ and maintains control over the manufacturing process. As producers of ethical jewellery we buy only ‘Kimberley’ certified diamonds which ensures that only conflict-free diamonds are purchased. Conflict-free means that no blood diamonds i.e., diamonds from active conflict zones which may be acquired through illegal means are not purchased.
The Diamond Pipeline
The diamond pipeline means the production chain starting from mining the rough diamond to the finished product in your jewellery. After the extraction of unprocessed diamonds, these are sorted into different varieties and combinations. These may range to more than five thousand combinations depending upon the diamond's size, shape, colour, and clarity. The next step is the polishing and grinding of diamonds. The diamonds are shipped to processing centers where highly skilled professionals cut, grind and polish the uncut form into multi-faceted brilliant diamonds of exceptional radiance and sparkle. The last step is the retailing of diamonds, both as singular pieces or inset in different types of jewellery.
Producing the Jewellery
Jewellery can be manufactured unethically too using sweatshops in developing countries where proper compensation may not be given to the craftsmen. Jewellery by AËLRA JOAILLERIE is crafted and designed in-house by their designers and craftsmen at their main center in Antwerp diamond district, Belgium.
You can also visit us at our store in Antwerp on weekdays if you are interested in purchasing personalized and customized jewellery. We offer the following services for our visiting customers.
a. Welcoming and Secure Environment
Look and try the jewellery at your pleasure. You are safe in our showroom with no unwanted attention.
b. Expert Advice and Personal Service
By making an appointment beforehand you can get the exclusive attention of a diamond expert. The expert will assist you and guide you on the diamond characteristics and type of jewellery that will suit you.
c. Jewellery Try-Outs
Try different types of jewellery before making the purchasing decision. Be sure that the jewellery piece suits you. We have a wide range of beautiful and high-quality diamond jewellery including rings, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings at your service.
d. Jewellery Customization
You can get customized jewellery as per your requirements. Our experts will assist you with their inputs and make the necessary customizations as per your specifications.
Ethical Jewellery from AËLRA JOAILLERIE
AËLRA JOAILLERIE is devoted to crafting ethical jewellery and maintaining customer confidence and trust. We provide premium top-quality jewellery to customers at competitive prices through controlling the production chain from purchasing diamonds from source to creating handmade jewellery in-house by our highly skilled and experienced craftsmen. We provide hallmarked jewellery and a certificate of authenticity for every purchase.
Jewellery Collections at AËLRA JOAILLERIE
Precious metals and stones travel a long way before ending up in your jewellery pieces. AËLRA JOAILLERIE closely checks and controls the entire manufacturing process to actively create ethical jewellery. Our ethical and beautifully crafted premium jewellery includes a wide variety of diamond rings, earrings, pendants, and bracelets. We use precious and semi-precious gemstones, natural diamonds of G-H color and SI1, SI2, I1 clarity in sparkling white, black and brown set in 9K, 14K, and 18K gold in white, red, and yellow gold colours. The stone setting includes bezel, channel, flush, pave, micro-pave including combinations and several other settings. Come, browse and acquire these beautiful pieces of art which you will proudly wear and treasure for years to come.