New Life + Recycled Collection
One of our favorite ways to exercise our craft here at Alx&Co. is by creating works of art for clients using heirloom gold or gemstones because the service encourages the practice of sustainable craft. Creating wearable works of art using recycled heirloom gold is sustainable craft for a number of reasons. It’s important to understand that while recycled gold sources are objectively better than newly mined gold sources, industrial refining of recycled gold will employ the use of toxic acids and result in carbon output - and not all refiners practice conscious processing practices. As part of our own commitment to sustainability, we use a local SCS Certified refiner that employs a Zero Discharge wastewater treatment process in its facility and uses a method of gold refining that reduces acid use by 85%, among adhering other carbon-conscious protocols in its facility. There is huge ecological difference between a US-based, EPA-compliant, SCS-certified refiner and other refiners that are not held to these standards. This is key to remember when browsing jewelry online that states it comes from 100% recycled gold, but still uses mass-production techniques at eye-wateringly low prices. These things just don’t add up from a sustainability perspective.
(For what it’s worth, our cast pieces are produced by a Chicago-based company that is a member of the Responsible Jewelry Council and which uses 100% recycled gold from RCJ-certified refiners for its materials.)
In the end, though, it’s just pretty cool to know that the gold you have in your piece is exactly the same gold your grandmother wore on her finger for 50 years. This is where the alure of handmade craft comes into the picture. I challenge you to look around yourself right now and try to identify five things that have been crafted by a human being from start to finish. I would bet that most Americans would struggle to identify even one item, especially if you exclude craft projects from your kids. There is a granularity to hand-crafted goods that is increasingly rare and special in today’s mass-produced economy. To commission and own something that has been meticulously labored over by another human acknowledges the connection this craft has to centuries of men and women who utilized nearly identical techniques in their own fabrications as we do today, and for our most sentimental objects, that human connection is only fitting.
Finally, when you commission a hand-made work of art you know you are going to have a one-of-a-kind masterpiece, even with the most simplistic designs. Your piece will carry its own narrative history, it will display small unique variations inherent in crafted design, and the meaning you ascribe to it will be completely your own.
Not everything can be created using recycled gold, though, and we have a post already detailing the types of custom styles (and why) that are a good option for utilizing your heirloom gold. Additionally, we have been creating items for our showroom that show pretty ways to use your own gold, and we’re pleased to release new styles that are available now for purchase or design inspiration:
Hand crafted earring ideas…
Pendant and cluster necklace ideas…
Plus a pretty solitaire ring option…
All of these styles are crafted by hand in our workshop, and of course you aren’t limited by these styles for your own piece - we are happy to talk through other design ideas! For example, our handmade bangles are a great daily-wear investment piece that can be customized to your pick of width, finish, and detailing. The styles shown here are all custom commissions from clients, and we can execute other variations to your own preferences.
If you have enough gold and gemstones to use in the design, then we only charge for the labor involved in crafting the piece. The design process is a little different for these pieces as well because we don’t do renderings of the piece before we craft it. If you’re comfortable with a process where you trust the craft and creation, then this is a great way to achieve new utility from your heirloom pieces. Reach out to schedule a design consultation and see what we can create for you!
