Olivia Marie is currently developing a transparency rubric to be hosted on each individual product listing. In the meantime, please refer to this general information about the materials and processes utilized in the creation of her work, and feel free to reach out with any questions!
Metals
All the cast and fabricated components of the silver and gold jewelry in Olivia's production line and one-of-a-kind pieces are made from recycled metal, including any handmade chains. The vendors from whom Olivia sources silver and gold maintain certification by independent audit bodies to ensure the integrity of their recycled material.
Olivia Marie Handcrafted Adornment is also now proud to offer Fairmined gold as an option for any commissioned pieces! Fairmined gold is extracted by small-scale and artisanal mining organizations that comply with a robust criteria of requirements encompassing the Fairmined standard, and in turn earn a premium for their gold that benefits the workers and their communities. You can read more about Fairmined gold here.
Additionally, Olivia collects all of the metal scraps, dust, shavings, filings and otherwise leftover metal components from her production process for refining, so that they may be remelted and and turned into usable metal once more.
Gemstones
At this point, the exact provenance is not known for every single stone incorporated within Olivia's line, although total and complete traceability is a goal she is striving to reach by 2021. The geodes utilized in her Sanctum collection are almost exclusively from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, from a vendor that carries single origin crystals that are not the byproduct of other harmful industries and extracted using low impact methods by miners who are paid fairly for their work. She also maintains a small selection of semiprecious stones which have been unmounted from preowned jewelry that are available for use in her custom work, and is always happy to discuss resetting an heirloom stone of your own.
Studio Protocols
In addition to conserving and refining her scrap metal, Olivia disposes of any chemical wastes such as pickle (an acid bath in which metal is soaked), and patina (an agent to change the color of metal) in accordance with local environmental regulations. In other words, she does not pour chemicals down the drain. This is also the case for acrylic paint, which many people do not realize breaks down in the water supply and contributes to micro plastic pollution. It should go without saying, but all excess plastic and paper products are used sparingly and recycled as well.