Environmental Transparency Statement

RESPONSIBLY MADE FROM THE BEGINNING

Established in 2004, Zurina Ketola has been committed to environmental and social responsibility since day one. Disappointed by the horrifying impacts of fast fashion, she decided to do things a little differently. 

The studio’s current sustainable practices include:

  • Scrap metal recycling and old material donation
  • Recycled/recyclable, reusable, and fair trade certified packaging materials 
  • Carbon neutral shipping
  • Branding materials printed on paper from sustainably farmed trees
  • An annual assessment of our studio’s practices with updates published on this page

With an eye on the future, Zurina’s always aiming to improve. Take a look at what the studio’s been up to and what it hopes to achieve.

SUSTAINABILITY GUIDELINES   

R E D U C E

Designing small collections with timeless details and high-quality materials is the cornerstone of Zurina's design philosphy. Each new collection is made to complement your favorites from past collections, ensuring that you'll always be able to mix and match classic and new pieces effortlessly.

Since the beginning, Zurina has also offered cleaning and repairs along with info and guidance on jewelry care to keep your favorite pieces looking brand new. 

Zurina has gone plastic-free with jewelry packaging. Your orders will come in recycled/recyclable, repurposed, and fair trade materials, and are sent carbon neutral.

R E U S E

As for materials no longer in use, Zurina now hosts Upcycled Jewelry Workshops and Upcycled DIY Kits.

R E C Y C L E

Precious scrap metal is melted down and recycled into new raw materials.

R E V I S E

Zurina is committed to staying flexible and adaptable, and ready to respond to any new information on how to be more environmentally sustainable.

ETHICAL SUPPLY CHAIN + BUSINESS PRACTICES

Every collection is made in-studio by Zurina Ketola herself, and she plans to keep it that way. 

As for the rest of ZK’s supply chain, here are the facts:

For ZK and other small businesses, it can be tricky to get information from suppliers beyond what country or region their materials are from. So, Zurina decided to do the research and develop her own vetting process. 

Questions she asks suppliers:

  • How did this material get in my hands?  
  • Was the process safe for workers and the environment? 
  • Are your workers paid a fair wage? 
  • Do we have aligning values?

Often, suppliers don’t have answers to these questions, so Zurina also takes into account other sociopolitical and environmental factors that might contribute to unethical conduct in the supply chain. For instance: Is the area war-torn? Is it known for poor treatment of workers? Does it have a history of subpar environmental standards?

There’s a lot of guesswork involved in the vetting process, and it’s definitely not perfect, but it's an essential step in the business.

Supplier Findings

ZK’s leather supplier: They produce the finest-quality leathers in the world using an environmentally friendly dyeing process. They also produce annual 3rd party audits of their environmental impact and maintain manufacturing practices beyond what’s required. 

ZK’s primary metal supplier: As an industry leader in socially conscious and sustainable environmental practices and offer metal recycling along with conflict-free, ethically sourced and recycled metal materials.

ZK’s top gemstone supplier: Their social and environmental values align with Zurina’s; in fact, they’re in the process of creating their own Environmental Transparency Statement. 

WORK IN PROGRESS

Zurina Ketola is interested in progress, not perfection. The studio has made great strides in sustainability since opening up shop in 2004 and will continue doing so into the future. Zurina conducts an annual audit of our studio’s practices and keeps this page updated with the latest details. 

Future Goals

Zurina would like to get to the point where all of her products are made of 100% sustainable materials. Currently, our studio’s on the hunt for the following suppliers to help make that happen: 

  • An ethically/sustainably sourced 14K yellow and rose gold fill chains supplier
  • An ethically/sustainably sourced pearls and shell components supplier

A Code of Conduct document is also in the works! Zurina is creating this to help increase transparency with her clients and establish a clear set of standards for her suppliers.  

If you’re interested in learning more about ZK’s environmental sustainability and ethical business practices, or if you have any ideas to share, feel free to get in touch here.