How High-End Jewelers Cultivate a Sustainable Brand Image

Since the dawn of industry, emerging trends have always been the bridge between the then and the now. The next evolution in our way of life. Trends are forces that can push multiple industries into revolutionizing their products and making drastic changes. Sometimes those changes shake up an entire supply chain, and that’s what we’re dealing with right now.

The 2020s have already seen a handful of trends come into full bloom. There has been a demand for digitalization, QR codes, VR/AR, and the phygital shopping experience. All of these trends aside, the biggest game-changer, especially when pertaining to the jewelry industry is the sudden demand for sustainability.

Why is Sustainability Trending?

As times change, so do the ethics and ideals of the masses. The last decade has given birth to the socially conscious consumer, who isn’t happy with just a big luxury product with a question mark hanging over its origin. These new customers want a story that will assure them that their luxury product is sustainable and ethically sourced. 

While ethical sourcing has been assured by way of certification from the likes of Fairtrade, the Kimberley Process and the Responsible Jewelry Council, and other entities, these certificates didn’t enlighten consumers or tell them a sustainable story. Here’s how some jewelry brands took things to the next level and set a new sustainable standard.

Setting The Gold Standard

With the rise of a sustainability-conscious consumer base, jewelry brands from around the world had to search for ways to promote their brand's sustainable entities. Here are a few examples of how some of the biggest brands are showcasing their sustainable efforts. 

• High Jewellery Maison Boucheron - Last year, Boucheron released a bridal line and partnered with Sarine and featured the fully digitalized, Boucheron branded Sarine Diamond Journey™ traceability report, which uses verifiable traceability data to allow consumers to trace diamonds from the mine to the store and create an unforgettable diamond buying experience. 

• Brilliant Earth - This established and ethical brand never uses newly mined diamonds, but instead opts for upcycled and lab-grown gems, as well as recycled metal. They are also certified by the Responsible Jewelry Council and Fairmined.
  
  
• Kwiat - This renowned jewelry house has released Mine to Shine, an alternative way for consumers to trace their diamond from the mine to the store, as they meticulously document and verify the diamond each step down the pipeline.
  
  
• Aurate - Aurate thinks fair prices and high quality should never come without doing a little good for the industry. They take the extra step to go beyond mere certification and they also track every diamond that comes into their workshop, knowing the exact mine that the gem came from. 
  
  
• Clean Origin - Clean Origin showcases its sustainable efforts by fully embracing lab-grown diamonds and the claim that they have no negative impact on the environment or human lives. They also push the notion of offering a diamond that gives consumers a clean conscious and peace of mind. 

Sarine’s Answer to Sustainability

In 2018, Sarine developed a concrete solution for brands wanting to showcase sustainability within the diamond industry, the Sarine Diamond Journey™ Traceability report. With our groundbreaking solutions down the entire pipeline collecting data on each diamond passing through them and storing it in the Sarine cloud, we have leveraged that data to provide undisputed diamond traceability.

The fully digitalized report provides consumers with a comprehensible look at their diamond from its rough form in the mine, to its cutting and polishing in the manufacturer and right into the storefront. Not only does it create a sense of assurance that their diamond is sustainable, but also gives them a more intimate connection to their gem.

To further push the importance of sustainability, we have recently released our new Diamond Journey™ Traceability website. This educational tool reveals to consumers the good behind their diamonds and how their purchase connects them to individuals from across the world. Diamonds in the mine and manufacturers change the lives of thousands upon thousands of people by means of economic growth, career and educational opportunities, and the advancement of developing communities.

Closing Thoughts…

Most important, our industry embracing sustainability won’t just answer the demands of a new generation and keep us relevant for decades to come, but it will contribute to a more ethical world where no one has to be exploited for the sake of fashion and our collective conscious can be a clean slate.  That said, one thing is clear about industries across the global spectrum, more sustainability is needed.