handmade jewellery
All
work commissioned by Kate Shore is handmade personally in her private jewellery
studio, situated in the leafy surrounds of Westerfolds Park in Templestowe,
Melbourne.
Kate is one of the rare
jewellery designers who strive to create beautiful handmade jewellery whilst
having as little impact on the earth as possible. Her workshop has been set up
to allow jewellery to be made in the least damaging way possible. Kate is
continually searching for cleaner and better ways to produce her handcrafted
jewellery.
Did you know, the production of
one gold ring produces approximately 20 tonnes of waste?
The gemstone and goldmining
industries are without a doubt some of the world’s dirtiest industries. The
harmful chemicals and generation of tonnes of waste leaves a long-lasting scar
on environments and communities. Mining operations have displaced indigenous
people from their land, destroyed traditional cultures, and spoiled ecosystems.
With all this to consider, why
would anyone want to buy gold jewellery?
Boycotting the jewellery industry altogether is not going to solve the
problems that goldmining creates, however you can support jewellers and metalsmiths
that are trying do their part by minimising the impact their work has on the
earth.
Kate Shore is a supporter of
the no dirty gold campaign, which seeks to put an end to unsustainable
gold mining practises around the world. Wherever possible Kate uses precious metals
that have been sourced from old jewellery, mobile phones, xray and photographic
waste that would have otherwise unnecessarily ended up in landfill. These
materials have been refined and alloyed in Australia by EPA accredited refiners
and meets all regulations on quality and purity.
You can rest assured that the
material you select to be used is in no way inferior to new materials. Until
gold-mining becomes a cleaner industry, recycled gold is the best option.
Along with recycled products,
Kate’s jewellery studio is powered by electricity sourced from renewable
energy, she replaces traditional harmful chemicals and products with more
natural alternatives and is continually searching and striving to improving her
practises in a cleaner workshop.
To read more about the damaging
impacts that the traditional jewellery sector has you can visit:
