Planet-First Jewellery - The Origins and Ethos of Lily Carmen Jewellery

I'm Lily, designer and maker at Lily Carmen Jewellery. For as long as I can remember I've loved experimenting with jewellery, style and fashion. About thirteen years ago I learned to knit, and then to sew - I actually made my own wedding dress! Making things to wear brought me so much joy that I yearned to create my own jewellery too.

I started out making jewellery from wood and leather during the early days of the pandemic, and later moved on to using laser cut acrylic. I started an Etsy shop called Lily J Makes, and learned a lot from it.

Over time I've grown more and more environmentally conscious, and I started to have doubts about acrylic jewellery. It was fun and playful, but I yearned to make jewellery that was more precious, timeless, meant to last and become part of a daily jewellery wardrobe.

This was when I first tried silversmithing at the end of 2023, and I fell in love. I could make beautiful pieces that made me feel special when I wore them, and with care could last forever. If I ever changed my mind, I could melt it down and make something entirely new, with nothing wasted. Straight away I knew this craft was for me.

Looking around at the jewellery industry, I was immediately frustrated by the lack of transparency. If you buy an apple from your local supermarket, the packaging will tell you the precise variety, the country of origin - sometimes even the farm that grew it! For jewellery however that kind of information is often nowhere to be found.

New silver and gemstones are mined from the earth, but their origins are often unclear. Most brands don’t tell you where their metals and gemstones come from, how or in what conditions they were mined. While diamonds, rubies, and sapphires are often more traceable, these stones aren’t accessible to most people for everyday jewellery. Even the making process is often a mystery, with many large businesses outsourcing their manufacturing all over the world to cut costs.

As a conscious consumer, I wanted to be a conscious business owner who could provide the kind of transparency to my customers that I want when I purchase jewellery. Lily Carmen Jewellery is the result - planet-first jewellery made responsibly at every stage of the process, from the raw materials and production, to you opening your parcel. That means:

• Your jewellery is made from 100% recycled silver, and many pieces are made specifically from AgAIN silver recycled from x-ray film in the UK. From diagnosing a broken bone, to a beautiful piece of jewellery - it still amazes me that that’s possible!
• Every piece of silver jewellery is made end to end in Scotland, starting and finishing in my home studio in the Scottish Borders. My hand carved wax designs are cast in silver by a small business on the west coast of Scotland, and if you order gold vermeil pieces they are plated by another small business in London’s Hatton Garden. By choosing Lily Carmen Jewellery pieces, you support British industry and craftsmanship.
• The gemstones in your jewellery are selected from retailers with a strong commitment to ethical sourcing, and have a known country of origin which indicates a shorter and more transparent supply chain.
• Your jewellery arrives in sustainable plant based packaging, made from recycled materials wherever possible. All the packaging (even the tape!) is biodegradable or recyclable aside from the plant-based foam inside the gift box, which is made from a paper industry byproduct.

These choices mean you can enjoy your Lily Carmen Jewellery pieces with confidence knowing they’ve trodden lightly on the earth and supported British industry in the process.

Is there any other part of my process you’d like to learn more about? See my article on how my jewellery is made, and feel free to get in touch with any questions - I’d be delighted to talk sustainability with you.