Have you ever wondered whether your jewellery is vegan? Or asked what vegan jewellery is? Do you know if your jewellery has been made in a vegan workshop - or what this means?
In this blog, I want to explore these questions and consider some of the reasons why your jewellery might not be vegan. While some jewellery is clearly made from animal products you might also be surprised to learn that within a traditional jewellery workshop the processes used to make your jewellery might rely heavily on non-vegan practices or processes. Continue reading to find out more.
What is a vegan? What is veganism?
The UK vegan society defines veganism as
"… a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment." (However, this is just one definition and might not be accepted or followed by all vegans).
Is veganism the same as vegetarianism?
No - vegetarians generally don’t eat fish or meat but they may eat dairy products and eat and wear other animal by-products, whereas for many vegans (although not all), veganism is a way of life not just a diet. This of course is very personal to each individual and there are variations and cross-overs between the two approaches.
What are some of the reasons for being vegetarian or vegan?
Reasons for being vegetarian or vegan vary widely between individuals. Commonly people choose to become vegetarian or vegan for reasons which might relate to animals, the environment, health or religion. (If you want to find out more why not check out the vegetarian society and/or the vegan society)
Are there any materials to watch out for in jewellery that might not be vegan?
While some products may be clearly non-vegan, there is sometimes debate as to whether a specific product is acceptable to vegans – there is no agreed list! This difference of opinion can be a result of the varied reasons as to why people become vegan in the first place and is usually a personal choice for each individual. For example, some vegans may consider using or wearing certain products acceptable if an animal was not directly harmed or if it died of natural causes. Others prefer never to use or wear animals s they don't want to limit an animal's worth to an accessory. And some vegans believe that it is not in line with the principles of veganism to take something from an animal or disturb them or their habitats.
There is no one solution fits all. Accordingly, it is important to be as transparent as possible in terms of the materials and processes used in jewellery making to enable people to make their own decisions. Odeda Jewellery avoids using pearls, mother of pearl, silk, insects, bones, teeth, coral or leather in its jewellery.
Are pearls vegan?
I’m often asked about pearls and whether or not they are vegan. In the wild, pearls are created when a particle (often a piece of sand or sometimes a parasite!) somehow gets inside the shell of a oyster or mussel. To defend from this attack, the oyster or mussel starts coating that particle with layers of ‘nacre’ and 2-4 years later these layers form a pearl. However, while the romanticised idea is that pearls are created naturally and found at the bottom of the ocean, in reality, wild pearls are rare and most pearls on the market are ‘cultured’ pearls.
Cultured pearls are created by the deliberate insertion of an irritant into an oyster. To do this an oysters’ shell is forced open and a particle played inside to kickstart the process of the formation of a pearl. There has been some debate as to whether or not oysters feel pain during this process, but what is clear is that not all oysters survive this process. When the pearl is ready it is harvested and at this stage either the process will be repeated again with the same oyster or the oyster will be killed. Many vegans disagree with the use of live oysters in the process (whether or not they survive) and man-made pearls are readily available as a gorgeous alternative to pearls.
Man-made pearls are made from a ceramic, glass or plastic core which is painted with a lustrous paint to look iridescent. However, not all man-made pearls are vegan – traditionally the paint
used on man-made pearls included fish scales and shells, so do check with your seller before purchasing.
Is silk vegan?
Silk thread is popular in some jewellery (and jewellery packaging). Silk is made from fibers spun by silkworms. Most silk is made from domesticated silkworms that are raised on farms. The silkworms make a liquid version of silk which they use to spin cocoons. There are a few different ways in which farmers collect silk from the silk worms. In the wild, the worms would eventually chew through their cocoon, emerge as a moth and fly away. Traditionally however, many farmers would drop the cocoons, along with the live silkworms, into boiling water, unravelling the cocoons into long silk threads and killing the worms in the process. There are however alternatives: some farmers allow the silk worms to naturally emerge from their cocoons as moths and fly away before they gather the silk from the abandoned cocoons. Ultimately, whether or not the use of this silk is acceptable to vegans is again a matter of personal choice.
Is coral a plant or animal? Is coral vegan-friendly? What is the issue with coral jewellery?
Corals are often thought to be plants but are actually invertebrate animals (they belong to the ‘Cnidarua’ group of animals (which also includes jelly fish!)). Coral reefs are sometimes called the ‘rainforests of the sea’ and it has been reported that around 25% of the ocean’s fish depend on health coral reefs. Healthy coral reefs are vitally important to life, both in the ocean and on land - accordingly to the UN around one billion people globally depend on coral reefs for their food sources.
Unfortunately, coral reefs are in decline worldwide and the devasting effects of the commercial harvesting of coral have been widely reported (in fact coral harvesting is now illegal in some countries). In short harvesting has contributed to the declining size, structure and density of reefs and once harvested surrounding coral (which can take years to grow and reach maturity) often does not recover.
What about the process of making jewellery? Is jewellery-making vegan? Is silver or gold jewellery vegan?
While silver and gold jewellery may not appear at first glance to raise an issue for vegans, it might surprise you to learn that some of the processes commonly adopted to create jewellery in a traditional workshop may rely heavily on non-vegan practices or materials. Such processes and materials might include:
1. The use of rawhide mallets: silver and gold is traditionally shaped and formed with a mallet made of rawhide (i.e. animal skin from cows or pigs). This is used as an alternative to metal hammers which will leave an impression or dent on the metal being formed.
2. Leather: Leather is also often used in a jeweller’s workshop, whether in the ‘benchskin’ used to collect silver and gold filings in the workshop, in heat-proof gloves or aprons, in leather sandbags used to rest metal on for various processes and as tool handles or holders.
3. Beeswax: generally beeswax is used in jewellery workshops to lubricate saw blades and stop them from sticking. I’ve seen some debate as to whether or not beeswax is ok for vegans to use. Although some companies aim to harvest beeswax in a way that protects bees from harm, the harvesting of beeswax can come with risks of death or damage to bees and their surroundings. And some vegans believe that it is not in line with the principles of veganism to take something from an animal or disturb them or their habitats.
4. Cuttlefish: Cuttlefish casting is where large cuttle fish bones are used to create a mould to create one-off pieces using molten silver or other metals. The cuttlefish bones are usually found on beaches, where fish have washed up on the shore. My understanding is that some vegans may be ok with cuttlefish casting as the fish was not directly harmed for this process to take place, but others will still prefer vegan alternative processes to be used.
5. Animal fats: traditionally the polishes used to create that shiny mirror polish on your jewellery are made from animal fats.
6. Animal Hair and wool: Natural paintbrushes and polishing wheels used in workshops are often made from the hair or bristles of animals. Wool polishing wheels are also often used to apply polishes and to create a high shine finish on silver and gold.
It is up to each person to decide whether the use of a particular product or process is acceptable to them. For example, where it can be shown that an animal has not been exploited, some vegans might not have an issue with such use. I personally have taken the decision to replace all the above jewellery-making processes and materials with non-animal vegan alternatives (so all Odeda Jewellery is made in a vegan workshop). Ultimately, the most important thing in my view is for jewellers to be as transparent as possible and let everyone decide what is acceptable and important to them, without judgment.
Elaine is the jewellery designer & maker behind Odeda Jewellery Ltd. You can read more about Odeda Jewellery here, find our sustainability statement here or check out our jewellery here. For one of a kind pieces you can also visit Odeda Jewellery's Etsy shop.
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