Commitment to Sustainability

Mary Blum is committed to keeping her goldsmith's footprint as ecologically light as possible in all areas, from the acquisition of raw materials to the hand-fabrication of pieces, from the disposal and/or recycling of materials utilized in her fabrication process to the packaging and shipping of finished jewels to her clients.  She understands viscerally that this requires education, investigation and vigilance on her part.  

Mary has been aware of the way in which her life impacts the earth since she was in her early 20s, when Los Angeles became one of the first cities in the United States to pilot city-supported recycling programs.  The program wasn't comprehensive or complete, but through the process of sorting her household waste, she was shocked to see how much of what she used wasn't recyclable.  That knowledge made her uneasy, and that unease pushed her to make more conscious choices about what she consumed and what she left behind.  Now, decades later, she continue that personal commitment to minimizing the impact her daily life has on the planet by assiduously cleaning, separating and sorting recyclable and compostable materials each week, and by being seeking ways to make that process as complete as possible. This attention to detail with regard to world ecology continues to play out in her jewelry fabrication process.

Precious Metals

With regard to raw metals, Mary begins with 100% recycled gold and silver from refiners who are SCS-certified for their production of recycled metals, a process that takes into consideration not just the source of the metals but also the way in which those metals are refined and the waste from refining is processed.  When she utilizes prefrabricated findings, such as chain or earring backs, she procures those findings from trusted sources that are transparent as to the origin and creation of those findings.  Whenever possible, she strives to ensure that those, too, are made from recycled metals and fabricated by craftsmen earning living wages in safe working conditions.  While she cannot guarantee that every finding is made of recycled metal, by investigating the nature of the findings through her sources, she does feel confident that each piece is made with intention and attention to the human behind it.  Finally, when she finds herself with scrap metal left over from her fabrication of jewelry, Mary either remelts it herself to roll out into new sheet or wire, or she returns it to her refiner as part of the recycled metal stream from which they create fresh raw metal products.

Gemstones and Pearls

Over her years of work as a goldsmith, Mary has developed relationships with sources for her gemstones and pearls, from individuals who work directly with small stone producers and pearl farmers to larger companies that serve the larger jewelry industry.  Through these relationships, Mary strives acquire stones and pearls that are ethically sourced with regard to origin, production and sale. Regardless of place of origin, all of her diamonds are guaranteed to be conflict-free in accord with the Kimberly Process.  Many of them are of United States or Canadian origin and/or recycled. Again, just as with prefabricated findings, she cannot personally trace every stone or pearl she uses, but she is diligent in asking questions, in following through by supporting suppliers who answer those questions honestly and with integrity, and in assiduously avoiding stones that come from conflict-ridden places in the world known for human-rights abuses.  It takes time to develop these relationships and to research her stones, but she is delighted to spend that time and to pay a premium for gemstones that are as transparent as possible with regard to origin.

Packaging and Shipping

Fully aware of the impact of waste in shipping, from size of container to plastics used for cushioning, Mary does everything she can to minimize her presence in that waste stream.  From small kraft-paper gift boxes for in-person events to matte black steel hinged tins for shipped items, from recycled kraft-paper instead of plastic bubble wrap to linings of recycled paper shreds in place of synthetic cotton, Mary works to ensure that her packaging and shipping resources are reusable, recyclable and/or compostable.