Consciously Crafted Jewellery

Shimell and Madden are the opposite of mass-manufacture and fast fashion. Most pieces are one-of-a-kind and they only produce a small number of multiples. Their pieces take time to handcraft and are made to last. There's no surplus or waste as almost everything is made to order. The entire making process happens within their London studio where they can guarantee a very high standard of working practice and environment.

Precious metals are magical materials. Malleable enough to be formed into jewellery when softened by heat, and tough enough to last generations once work hardened through the process of goldsmithing. Gold and platinum can also be recycled and refined over and over again without it diminishing their noble qualities.

Shimell and Madden use certified recycled gold as standard in their jewellery. This means gold content not newly mined and is recycled in a closed loop refining process. Their bullion dealers are certified members of the Responsible Jewellery Council and can ensure that the precious metals we use are produced in a socially correct as well as ethically environmentally sound manner. As registered Fairtrade Goldsmiths’ they can offer Fairtrade gold in their jewellery. Fairtrade Gold is sourced exclusively from mines which meet the Fairtrade Gold Standard; an internationally recognised marker of best-practice, find out more about it here.

All metal used with their workshops is collected, refined or reused. Shimell and Madden can also recycle your own precious metal to make a new piece, find out more about that here.

Every diamond is guaranteed conflict free as Shimell and Madden’s suppliers trade under the Kimberley Process agreement. This means that the diamonds from rough to cut are audited to make sure they are not sourced from areas of conflict.

They use the global leading laboratory in diamond grading, GIA, for all their certified natural stones. Shimell and Madden also offer Canada Mark diamonds which are traceable to mine, Ocean diamonds which are supplied with a certificate of provenance and procured by specially trained divers. Chemically identical to naturally occuring stones, Lab-grown diamonds are also available as another option.

The world of coloured gemstones from the mining to the cutting is constantly changing and bettering, both in working practises and traceability. Shimell and Madden are continually gathering up-to-date knowledge and contacts as the new supply chains develop.

Through their varied partners they are able to give their clients a choice of gemstone and its provenance. Some gemstones can be 100% traced to the mine, others are recycled from older pieces, or supplied by their accredited gemstone dealers based in the UK, Denmark, USA, Australia and Germany. They trust these suppliers to only source from other small companies or artisanal mines and cutters that uphold the same high standards.

Shimell and Madden use recyclable postage packaging and filling. Within the studio they have an advanced recycling system in their studio for all waste materials. Every order is shipped with DHL using the GoGreen climate service, which offsets its carbon footprint.