It’s been a while since I last blogged but I hope you’ve been enjoying keeping up with all things Liri on Facebook and Instagram. You’ll have noticed I’ve changed direction a bit – not only have I launched my first all gold collection, but I now also redesign jewellery you’ve inherited, so you can wear it proudly, rather than it sitting in a drawer. I’m so pleased about all of this because not only can I now bring gold to all you gold lovers (I know many of you prefer it to silver), but you can also breathe new life into pieces you thought you’d never wear.
So not only are you getting gorgeous designs but you can now enjoy adding a lovely ethical dimension to your jewellery buying. So many of you have told me that recycling precious metals is important to you, and I’m glad to be able to ensure you can shop your jewellery with peace of mind. So what ‘s so good about recycling/redesigning jewellery? What are you actually getting when you recycle precious metals and jewellery? Let’s find out.
The same quality
When we buy some recycled products, the quality isn’t always the same as ‘new’ products is it? I’m thinking specifically of toilet roll. It’s improved, but still….there’s just something that’s not great about it. You don’t have this issue with recycled gold – the quality’s always going to be just as good as when it was first mined. The great thing about gold is that it’s renewable and doesn’t degrade. This means it can be recycled over and over again without losing quality.
So when you buy a piece of recycled gold jewellery you never have to wonder ‘hmmm is this as good as ‘new’ gold?’ because the answer is ‘yes – totally’. So you get quality and peace of mind in one, knowing your gold piece looks fab but wasn’t freshly mined.
The chance to reuse what means a lot to you
Like me, I’m sure you’ve been handed down jewellery from your relatives. SO many jeweller’s love to say you can pass on their jewellery to future generations, but the thing is, it’s often so old fashioned by then that it just won’t get worn. It then just sits in a drawer never to see the light of day again, which I find sooo depressing. Which is why I love redesigning your family treasures for you. Not only is it another form of recycling metals and gems but it’s upcycling – you get to have a totally transformed piece of jewellery rather than an heirloom that just wasn’t your style. It’s also a great way of keeping your loved ones close to you. A lot of my clients have had wedding bands handed down to them and just by adding a few gems, they can keep their mothers or grannies with them every day and look great in the process.
It slows the consumption process
The big thing about all this recycling is it just means there’s less waste. If you’ve been reading my blogs for a while now, you know I’m all about the ‘buy less, buy better’ attitude to life. I really don’t like the frenzied approach many have to buying, where we buy as much cheap stuff as we can then throw it out once fashions change or we get bored of it. It’s greedy, it’s wasteful and it’s bad for the environment. One of my pet hates is cheap tat jewellery. Just like cheap clothes, it’s not built to last (so we end up buying more) and it just ends up in the bin (or a charity shop at a push). When you focus on remodelling your heirloom, which are often made from gorgeous 18 or 22ct gold, with stunning gems (some are cuts we don’t see anymore – so nice and rare), you’re preserving quality and reducing waste. It’s a no-brainer really, isn’t it?
Peace of mind
Let’s face it, we all like to feel good about what we’re buying, especially if we feel It’s not contributing to any harm. So knowing we’re slowing consumption, not taking more resources from the earth and upcycling gorgeous metals and gems feels good, doesn’t it?
So, this is why I’m so passionate about recycling and upcycling. Not only is the quality exactly the same as a piece of jewellery made from ‘brand new’ precious metals, but it’s a great ethical choice. So, if you love your gold and want to shop ethically, my gold pieces are the perfect choice for you. And if you want to breathe new life into your family treasures, I’d love to work some magic on them to turn them into something you never want to take off.
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