Our Approach
Sustainable, ethically-crafted, mindfully-made.
Fundamental to our practice, is our respect for the environment and its inhabitants. Here are some of these ways we ensure our workshop is a sustainable one:
- We work with recycled and refined sterling silver, gold & platinum.
- We choose to work with conflict-free, heirloom and antique stones.
- Our packaging only consists of natural materials – recycled paper/sustainable forested woods, cotton ribbon.
- Our jewellery studio runs on 100% solar power from panels installed on our workshop roof.
- We donate every month to our 4 chosen charities – see below.
- We educate our clients on ethical jewellery practice and methodology.
By working in this was we can create art from the natural beauty that earth grants us, without ever taking anything away from it.
Our Process
Coral Covey jewellery is designed, created and finish by hand with care and attention, to ensure only high quality, perfectly finished jewellery bears the Coral Covey maker’s mark. Laura Deakin is the sole designer and maker of Coral Covey bespoke jewellery.
Her practice is grounded in all ethical facets of jewellery making. From concept to design, material to creation; Laura ensures the entire process of production is not only environmentally sound, but also gives back to our community.
To read more about how and why Laura began Coral Covey, click here.
Our Materials
We use 100% reclaimed/recycled sterling silver, gold & platinum.
Please read the information below for details about our practice and how we are making sure our jewellery is created with sustainable methods and materials.
Ethics & Environment
Laura is committed to making jewellery with a difference, so she has made it her business to know where all her materials come from.
By offering only certified jewellery pieces she aims to empower her customers with the knowledge that they are selecting a genuinely sustainable product.
Here are some of the ways she is making sure Coral Covey Jewellery is ethical and environmentally friendly.
Sterling Silver, Gold & Platinum
To create the body of each piece (e.g. a ring) Laura use 100% recycled and refined sterling silver, gold or platinum. This metal has exactly the same chemical make up as material that comes out of the ground.
The list of reasons it’s important to use existing metals, and not newly mined ones, are long. The processes involved in retrieving these metals from the ground are dangerous, toxic and often carried out in developing nations, where healthcare and fair pay are not enforced, and child labour is common.
The amazing thing about precious metal like silver or gold is that they can be constantly recycled and refined, over and over, forever.
To ensure a high quality and pure carat of metal, Laura employs the services of her local jewellery casting firm, Lenrose & Ace David Jewellery in Melbourne. She purchases the recycled and refined sterling silver, gold or platinum from Lenrose & Ace David Jewellery directly. This company is committed to making a difference environmentally by only using recycled metals and being the first casting foundry to use 100% recycled metal. The precious metals are sourced and salvaged from industry and existing jewellery. It is then refined it to its pure state (e.g. 24 carat gold) to make it available for re-use.
Jewellery Studio
Our jewellery studio is situated amongst the rolling hills of St Andrews, Victoria and is proudly powered with 100% renewable energy.
On the roof of our studio are two sets of solar panels sheets. These pannels absorb the light from the sun and turn it into energy, ready to use. Any extra energy created is stored and sold back to our energy provider, Powershop.
Powershop was Australia’s first 100% carbon neutral power company.
For further information on Powershop’s ethos and commitment to renewables, visit their website: Powershop
Packaging
The Coral Covey packaging is made using 100% biodegradable natural materials.
Our special wooden jewellery boxes are made from 100% sustainably forested woods in New Zealand by the company GIVE. These guys are a gorgeous locally owned company who place a huge emphasis on sustainability.
Our standard jewellery boxes are made with recycled paper. The felt bed inside is made using naturally dyed merino sheep wool, and our ribbons are made from pure cotton.
All packaging and print media use 100% recycled paper. For details see our packaging section.
Some of the reason we believe strongly about this…
Gold and silver mining is one of the most environmentally and culturally devastating industries worldwide. It has been known to displace communities, contaminate drinking water, poison workers and destroy pure ecosystems.
- To mine the gold for one wedding ring alone can generate up to 20 tons of waste.
- Mine waste can contain as many as three dozen dangerous chemical by-products including cyanide, arsenic, petroleum, lead & mercury. All these chemicals requiring special handling, storage and protection. However many people living and working in developing nations, even children, are mining for gold and silver without any protection.
- The mining industry has some extremely destructive extraction techniques, including ‘heap leaching’. This method drips a cyanide solution through a mountain of ore. The solution strips away the gold and other heavy metals which are collected in a pond. The water is then run through an electro-chemical process to extract gold.
- While some mining by-products are immediately toxic to life on contact, others such as heavy metals, are more insidious in nature and remain in soils for generations. If these soils dry and create dust or the contaminated land is used for agriculture the heavy metals contaminate people through direct inhalation or ingestion of food grown in heavy metal soils. These metals, such as lead and mercury, accumulate in our bodies (and those of the animals we eat) over time leading to severe health problems.
- It is estimated that half of all the gold mined from 1995 to 2015 is likely to have come from native lands, the traditional territories of indigenous people. When mines receive native title approval the anticipated environmental impact is often underestimated or under represented.
References and further reading:
Our Studio
The Coral Covey studio is situated in the heritage listed Nicholas Building on Swanston Street, in the heart of Melbourne.
The space is proudly powered with 100% renewable power.
Our Packaging
Every aspect of our packaging has been thoughtfully chosen.
- Our special jewellery boxes are made from 100% sustainably forested woods in New Zealand.
- Our paper boxes are made from recycled paper.
- The felt bed inside is made using naturally dyed merino sheep wool.
- Our ribbons are made from pure cotton.
- All packaging and print media use 100% recycled paper.
