Information
Responsibility
As a designer and maker, I feel that I have a responsibility to purchase my materials from ethical
sources. It can be quite difficult to trace the materials back to the original producer as there are
often several other people between you and them; buyers, wholesalers, shops etc. Before buying
my materials, I make sure I am satisfied that the company I am buying from knows where their
beads are coming from and the conditions in which they are produced.
Much of the jewellery I make contains crystals and pearls. I have always used Swarovski crystals
in my creations, as their reputation for excellence is known worldwide. The pearls I use are
purchased from a retailer who supports a small workshop in Bali. They are members of the Fair
Trade Federation and guarantee fair wages and employment opportunities to low-income
artisans worldwide. The workshop accepts men and women after they finish their secondary
education and teaches them age old craft traditions such as silver and goldsmithing. The workshops are well-lit, safe and healthy environments that are monitored by the Fair Trade
Federation.