Leave No Gemstone Behind

As a multitude of factors contribute to the formation of most mineral deposits, only a fraction of the deposit may be considered of fine enough quality for the jewellery industry. A great deal of gemstone material may be cracked, included, or off colour and therefore not suitable for fine jewellery and may be discarded or sold for industrial purposes. Further, once specimens of fine enough quality are cut and faceted for jewellery the off cuts may be discarded. Some estimates suggest that only 15% of mined gemstone material eventually becomes finished product (Sindelar et al, 2013).

We see value in all gemstone material. The majority of our collection consists of raw gemstone material that is not considered fine jewellery grade. The raw stones may be offcuts, feature cracks or inclusions, cloudiness, or be considered an off-colour. These "flaws" give the pieces a one of a kind appeal and diverts materials that may otherwise be waste. 

Additionally we have created our own gemstone eco-system within our studio. We purchase our rough stones in lots from small businesses and inevitably there are specimens that are off-shape or otherwise undesirable for specific designs. Our mosaic collection was created to use these types of materials. Specimens are hammered into shards and carefully set to create these pieces. We are proud of our ability to use all gemstone material we purchase and therefore reduce our environmental impact. 

<3 luxe.zen