Ingle and Rhode review – the ethical jeweller

I received* the most beautiful necklace a couple of weeks ago from Ingle and Rhode. The gorgeous Hummingbird pendant has been crafted in the UK from Fairmined sterling silver, and is set with a beautiful pair of brilliant cut Canadian diamonds. I absolutely loved it when I saw in on the website but when you see it in real life, you see how stunning it really is, with it’s brushed silver wings and delicate diamond eyes, it is certainly a special piece of jewellery that I am going to treasure.

Ingle and Rhode have a select few ready to wear silver pieces in their collection including necklaces, earrings and cufflinks. As well as the ready to wear silver collection, Ingle and Rhode are renowned for their engagement, wedding and eternity rings. They have an incredible collection to choose from and they also make bespoke rings to order, giving you the chance to work with the designer from start to finish to create your own unique masterpiece.

The jewellery is simply stunning, but what makes Ingle and Rhode stand out from other stores, are their ethics. They don’t believe in sweatshops or production lines, every piece is individually handmade in the UK. They also ensure that every material they use can be traced back to it’s source. I didn’t realise that a wedding ring made from normal gold can produce up to 20 tons of waste! I think that most people are now thinking more about the waste that they are causing and the harm it is doing to the environment. I know, I am making a conscious effort to buy alternatives to single use plastic and to buy Fairtrade to ensure the workers are getting paid a fair wage for their time, fair conditions and receiving training.

Ethically sourced diamonds

Ingle and Rhode ensure that they know where the gold, silver and platinum is sourced and that the workers have received fair pay and conditions as well as it being produced with due care to the environment. They source Canadian diamonds, that are mined under strict regulations imposed by the government of the Northwest Territories, and cut and polished according to guidelines established by the Council for Responsible Jewellery Practices. They are fully traceable, and the larger stones are laser-inscribed.

Fairtrade gold, fairmined silver and recycled platinum

Gold certified to Fairtrade standards provides small-scale miners and their communities with the opportunity for better living and working conditions. Ingle and Rhode is amongst the first jewellers in the world licensed to offer jewellery made with certified Fairtrade gold. If you are trying to reduce the impact of your purchases on the environment, you can also use recycled gold and recycled platinum. This reduces demand for newly mined metals, diminishing the environmentally damaging effects of mining practices. Ingle and Rhode recycled gold and platinum comes from a refinery that sources old gold and platinum from numerous post-consumer sources, including existing jewellery, and then refines these metals back to their pure form. Once refined, recycled gold and platinum are of identical quality to (and therefore completely indistinguishable from) newly mined refined gold or platinum.

Ingle and Rhode have fully exceeded my expectations in both quality, design and ethics. They have certainly made me think about where my other jewellery has originated from and I will be asking questions when I purchase in the future. Spending that little bit extra and knowing that the workers have received a fair amount for it and that the impact on the environment has been reduced is definitely worth it x