This book discusses the current trends in luxury and jewelry and presents how to make these sustainable for a better future. In the age of sustainability, we increasingly see how designers and consumers begin to think beyond a product's look&feel and operation, and are especially concerned about what has happened during its manufacturing process and what will happen once its useful life comes to an end. Today, consumers value that every industrial product and process should be sustainable, beneficial for the people, the economy and the planet, and so is the case for jewelry.
The ways in which the luxury brand and designer craftsmen and women approach the design process could not be more different. The former is led by economics, vertical integration, mass production and global markets. Luxury brands manufacture millions of pieces of jewellery each season to ensure the fashion system is fully operational and profitable. The latter is led by an intrinsic understanding and interpretation of the world around them, their concern for the environment, the origin of their raw materials and the most appropriate integration of new technologies to enhance their product offer. Theo Fennell, Ute Decker and Mark Bloomfield are three London jewellers who approach design and making in two distinctively different ways. Fennell works predominantly in precious metals and stones, Bloomfield is a world leader in 3D printing and Decker works in sustainable materials. This chapter explores their shared understanding of materials and how they are used, the impact they have on the environment and a deliberate attempt to reduce waste, adopt sustainable practices and enhance the customer experience through hands-on engagement with their products.