Sustainable Jewellery.
The Kitty Cullen brand endeavours to practice and promote sustainable fashion ethics, using raw materials sourced responsibly. Because of our commitment to sustainable practices our pieces are crafted from a combination of sourced beads and pearls, as well as vintage items. This means that each piece is unique and not necessarily matching or consistent.
We like to think of our pieces as ‘perfectly imperfect’, with the inconsistencies and rawness stemming from our commitment to finding the best materials without costing our planet.
FAQ’s
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For all of our beads & crystals we ensure to source from suppliers that share our ethics and production values, keeping the chain of sustainability going and as clean as possible. We source from small businesses and local providers which means we can choose our materials in a more personalised way. By doing this we are able to ask questions regarding the age, legitimacy and history of our crystals and beads.
Pearls are grown inside mollusks from the ocean’s ecosystem, making them an organic, natural bead. Many pearl farmers strive for sustainability, and numerous studies show that pearl farming can actually improve water quality. Pearl farming, when done right, can create new ecosystems for oysters to grow and we are proud to use freshwater pearls in our pieces. Our Freshwater pearls are sourced from a reliable, family-run business in the Far East.
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Gold-filled metal is made by an extremely resistant ‘base’ metal being sandwiched between layers of solid gold. Our gold-filled fittings compromise over 50% solid gold, making them more affordable but just as durable and long lasting as pure gold. Our gold-filled metal is commonly used with Brass, which is highly sustainable and can be recycled many times over. Where available, we buy ‘offcuts’ of 14k gold-filled metal to reduce wastage.
The lifespan of gold-filled jewellery is based on many factors but well-maintained and cared for gold-filled pieces can last a lifetime and is unlikely to tarnish. This metal is a more economical alternative to pure gold and more sustainable than gold plated.
We are proud to say that our sterling silver fittings are manufactured using 100% recycled silver. This means that instead of mining new silver, it is extracted from unwanted scraps and melted into new products which hold the exact same quality and purity as the pre-used silver. The metal itself is durable and reusable which makes it a great sustainable option for jewellery making.
We also provide rubber screw-on earring backs. We chose these instead of sterling silver so you can use them for other earrings you own, promoting re-use.
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All of our packaging is made in the UK by businesses who all strive for ethical and sustainable living. The black mailers we use are made with over 50% recycled materials whilst our natural cotton bags are made from part recycled fabric. Our box fillers are reusable, recyclable, and plastic free, and our thank you cards are made from recycled paper. Even the stamps for our drawstring bags are selected with sustainability in mind, made from a local business and made with eco friendly materials.
We are proud to say that all of our packaging products can be further recycled.