there is an emerging slow-fashion movement based in sustainability and ethical values rather than disposability and frivolous waste. kirstern muenster, one our featured designers at the gallery, has based her career on these same values. kirstern believes that social and environmental responsibility should take a more prominent role in the fashion industry.
incorporating ethically sourced, recycled and vintage objects into her work is a natural part of her construction process. for kirstern, ethical sourcing involves a transparent supply chain (not unlike the slow food movement - where there is a visible link from seed to table). the stones that she works with must have a clear and trackable mine-to-market custody chain. In order to ensure this, she works with stones from small, family owned mines, as well as individual rockhounds that hand collect, cut and polish the materials themselves. the claims in the US are well managed and when the extraction is complete, the entire disturbance is reclaimed
and recovered (reseeded & planted). she also does much of her own stone cutting from rock found in the 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s.
it is possible to have a beautifully designed piece of jewelry made with interesting materials whose cultivation does not fund corrupt organizations or promote unfair labor practices. Kirstern does not use conflict or questionable gemstones in her work. gallery of jewels is excited to see a growing community of designers focusing on these issues today, and we are committed to supporting them.
Gallery of Jewels has many designers who adopt this philosophy and practice. Just ask and we will identify those designers.