Sustainability

Sustainability & Ethics

Beautiful jewelry shouldn't cost the earth — literally. Here's how we're building a cleaner, fairer way to shine.

At LOTTEDS, sustainability isn't a marketing add-on. It's built into every decision we make — from the materials we choose to the partners we work with. We believe transparency is the only acceptable policy, so here's exactly where we stand.

Our Four Pillars

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No Mining

Our lab-grown diamonds and moissanite are created above ground — no earth displaced, no ecosystems disrupted, no communities uprooted. One carat of mined diamond requires moving up to 250 tonnes of earth. Ours requires zero.

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100% Recyclable Materials

316L stainless steel and 925 sterling silver are infinitely recyclable without loss of quality. At end of life, your LOTTEDS piece can be melted down and reborn — no landfill, no waste.

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Skin-Safe Chemistry

Every material we use meets the strictest EU safety standards — including REACH and the EU Nickel Directive. No brass. No nickel release. No harmful chemicals against your skin. We publish our material specifications because you have a right to know what touches your body.

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Fair Labor, Fair Price

We work with small ateliers where artisans are paid above-market wages. No sweatshops. No exploited labor. Our pricing model means you pay for craftsmanship and materials — not a celebrity's endorsement or a Fifth Avenue lease.

Material Choices That Matter

316L Stainless Steel — The Recyclable Foundation

Unlike brass — the cheap copper-zinc alloy used by most fashion jewelry brands — 316L stainless steel is a premium, high-integrity material. It's the same alloy found in surgical implants and luxury Swiss watches.

Environmental advantage: 316L is 100% recyclable. The global recycling rate for stainless steel exceeds 85%. When your jewelry eventually reaches the end of its long life, the metal can be melted and reused without degradation. Compare this to gold mining, which generates approximately 20 tonnes of toxic waste per single gold ring.

Health advantage: 316L is nickel-free in terms of release — it passes the EU Nickel Directive (EN 1811) for prolonged skin contact. It will never cause the rashes or green marks associated with brass and nickel-containing alloys. Full material specifications →

316L Stainless Steel

Lab-Grown Diamonds & Moissanite — The Cleaner Sparkle

Mined diamonds carry a heavy environmental cost: approximately 250 tonnes of earth moved per carat, significant water consumption, and a carbon footprint of roughly 57 kg CO₂ per carat. Lab-grown diamonds produce about 0.5 kg CO₂ per carat — a reduction of over 99%.

Beyond carbon: lab-grown stones are fully traceable. We know exactly where every stone in our collection originated — something the mined diamond industry, despite improvements like the Kimberley Process, still struggles to guarantee across all supply chains.

Our moissanite is grown in controlled laboratory environments using minimal energy and zero mining. It offers greater fire and brilliance than diamond — at a fraction of the environmental cost. Lab-grown vs. mined: the full comparison →

Lab-Grown Gemstones

EU Compliance & Safety Standards

REACH Regulation (EC 1907/2006): All materials used in LOTTEDS jewelry are registered, evaluated, and authorized under the EU's REACH framework. We do not use Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs) in any of our products.

EU Nickel Directive (EN 1811): Our 316L stainless steel and all metal components have been tested to ensure nickel release is below 0.5 μg/cm²/week — the threshold established by EU law for items in prolonged skin contact. This means our jewelry is safe for even the most sensitive skin. No rashes. No irritation. No exceptions.

CE Marking & General Product Safety: All LOTTEDS products comply with the EU General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR). Our packaging, product documentation, and traceability systems meet EU standards for consumer goods.

Packaging: Beautiful, Not Wasteful

Every LOTTEDS piece arrives in a reusable luxury box designed to be kept — not discarded. Our packaging philosophy is simple:

  • No single-use plastics. No plastic wrap, no plastic inserts, no plastic void fill.
  • FSC-certified paper for all printed materials and outer packaging where available.
  • Multi-use design: Our jewelry boxes are built to store your pieces for years. The anti-tarnish strip inside is replaceable — contact us and we'll send you a fresh one, no charge.
  • Right-sized shipping: We use the smallest possible box that safely protects your jewelry. Less void fill = less waste = lower shipping emissions.

Shipping & Carbon

All LOTTEDS orders ship via air freight priority (DHL, FedEx, UPS). We acknowledge that air freight has a carbon cost. Here's what we're doing about it:

  • Consolidated shipping: We batch orders to minimize individual trips — better for the environment, and it helps us keep shipping free for orders over $150.
  • Carbon offset partnership (in development): We are actively evaluating carbon offset programs to neutralize the emissions from our logistics. We'll publish our chosen partner and methodology here once finalized — because vague promises aren't our style.
  • No rush delivery gimmicks: We don't offer same-day or next-day delivery options that incentivize inefficient logistics. Our standard and express options are optimized for routing efficiency.

Designed for Decades, Not Seasons

The most sustainable product is one you don't need to replace. Fast-fashion jewelry — brass rings that turn your finger green, plated chains that fade in weeks — is designed for the landfill. LOTTEDS is designed to be worn every day, for years:

  • PVD gold finish lasts 3–5+ years with normal wear — significantly longer than standard electroplating.
  • 316L stainless steel resists scratches, corrosion, and tarnishing — it will never degrade to the point of being unwearable.
  • Lifetime Warranty and free replacement parts mean a broken clasp doesn't mean a discarded piece. Warranty details →
  • Timeless design: Our collections are inspired by jewelry traditions spanning millennia — not by seasonal trends that expire in six months.

What We're Working On

We're not perfect, and we won't pretend to be. Here's what's on our roadmap:

  • Full carbon audit: We're working toward a complete lifecycle carbon assessment of our products, from raw material to your doorstep. We'll publish the results — even if they're not flattering. Transparency means showing the whole picture.
  • Recycling take-back program: We're designing a program where customers can return end-of-life LOTTEDS pieces for recycling. The metal gets a new life. You get a credit toward your next piece.
  • Supplier code of conduct: We're formalizing a public-facing supplier code of conduct that sets minimum standards for labor practices, environmental management, and ethical business conduct across our entire supply chain.

Jewelry That Honors You — And the Planet

Every LOTTEDS piece is a vote for cleaner materials, fairer labor, and a longer-lasting relationship with the things you wear.

Shop Responsibly

Questions about our sustainability practices? We're an open book: info@lottedsteam.com