Sustainability
“As a consumer myself, I am becoming more and more conscious of where everything I buy comes from and the story behind it. I try my best to make ethical choices, and ensure my purchases are not supporting conflict or unfair practices. This transparency is something I’m striving for in my business too."
Moira Patience - Director
Handmade in Scotland
All of our pieces are handmade to order in our workshop in Scotland. We don’t work with any overseas factories or large scale production. This helps us take control of our supply chain, reduce waste and support local craftsmen.
Avoiding Conflict Diamonds
We source our diamonds individually for each piece we make from suppliers we know and trust, and we will not buy new diamonds from suspect sources or unknown suppliers. The UK is signed up to the multi-national Kimberely Process agreement, and so every diamond legally imported arrives with a promise of conflict-free origin.
Canadian Diamonds
We also offer fully traceable Canadian diamonds. In the 1990s diamonds were found in the Northwest Territories in Canada and the Canadian government set up the Canadian Diamond Code of Conduct, to which all the Canadian mines are signed up. Each diamond has an ID reference and can be traced back to the mine.
Ethical Gemstones
Gemstones should be worn and loved without worry about their origins. We are committed to sourcing our gemstones ethically, with as much transparency as possible. We source our gemstones from a number of reputable suppliers based in the UK. We also work closely with small ethical mines worldwide to source classic stones, but also rare cuts and colours helping us to trace our gemstones from the mine to the finished piece.
Recycled Gold & Platinum
We offer recycled gold and platinum as standard. Due to the refinement process precious metals can be recycled again and again and are indistinguishable from newly mined refined gold or platinum. Choosing recycled metals decreases the demand for newly mined resources and reduces our environmental impact.
Reusing Metals & Gemstones
We’re happy to reuse our clients heirloom gemstones and precious metals. Remodelling jewellery is the perfect way to transform old pieces into something that you can wear every day. It also reduces your environmental impact as no new resources need to be mined. Find out more about our remodelling service.
Fairtrade Gold
Moira Patience was recently granted a Fairtrade Gold License and we’re proud to offer this to clients as an alternative to standard gold. Fairtrade Gold is sourced exclusively from mines which meet the Fairtrade Gold Standard; which includes strict requirements on working conditions, health and safety, handling chemicals, women’s rights, child labour and protection of the environment including water sources and forests.
Contact Moira
If you would like to commission a bespoke piece of jewellery please email moira@patiencejewellery.com or call 0131 526 3279 to discuss your requirements and arrange a complimentary consultation.
