Aluminium jewellery: Fashion industry’s drive towards sustainability

Creativity and sustainability are the current fashion trends making waves. Fashion trends are continually changing, influenced by various factors such as social movements, technological advancements, and economic conditions. Using sustainable and environmentally friendly materials, like aluminium, to lessen the environmental impact is a growing trend. Specialists believe that aluminium decorations are appealing. These are lighter than gold and silver and available in various styles. For this reason, many prefer to wear this jewellery even regularly. Another curious fact is that the aluminium used to make this jewellery is derived from the refuse of automobiles, aeroplanes, computers, and kitchens. Below is a list of ways in which aluminium has been used to make jewellery:

DY Genesis jewellery series

David Yurman, a well-known American jeweller, recently debuted its newest high jewellery line, DY Genesis, at its worldwide flagship shop in Paris during Haute Couture Week. The jewellery line is made of aluminium, titanium, and other costly materials, on which valuable gemstones are set, giving it an exquisite but pricy appearance. It is beautiful to see aluminium used in such collectable things since it places the element among the top-tier materials on the earth's surface, making it suitable for high-end fashion. This collection was created by the company's president and chief creative officer, Evan Yurman, and it fully showcases the brand's remarkable innovation and superb workmanship. The DY Genesis line genuinely represents the height of perfection in fine jewellery and exemplifies David Yurman's dedication to quality and inventiveness.

Anabela Chan

The ninth annual London Craft Week 2023 will take place in October and include activities around the city celebrating sustainability and cutting-edge technology in design and craftsmanship. Many sustainable design and craft supporters will attend, including Anabela Chan, the world's first fine jewellery company to use lab-created gemstones. The company, recognised for its deliberate and cyclical approach to materials, will also display its works, like the 'Mermaid's Tale,' made from recycled and refined aluminium cans from beach cleanups.

The original concept was to discover a way to recycle aluminium cans into beautiful jewellery to decrease the amount of trash that ends up in landfills and waterways. Aluminium, like every other metal, can be recycled indefinitely, yet it's a common myth that only jewellery should be made of precious metals like gold and silver. Aluminium was the ideal medium for realising the vibrant Blooms Collection since it is surprisingly lightweight, allowing for more significant scale works, and it can be colour-treated in various ways.

Shourai

Engineer and industrial designer Mr Vetoskar has built a valuable jewellery collection out of gold and aluminium salvaged from defunct aeroplanes. He talked about how he created his collection Shourai at IIGJ in Mumbai, where he was invited to speak to senior jewellery design students about developing sustainable designs in a session titled "Afterlife". He talked about Shourai (which means "known future" in Japanese), as well as how he combined pieces made of aluminium and gold, why he added diamonds to the sides of each piece, how scrap aluminium was polished, why the presentation boxes were the same size and other details. Mr Vetoskar's firm, Bandit, has received four awards, including the Lexus Design Award 2021 and the Lakme Fashion Week - Circular Design Challenge 2021. He is the founder and creative director of the Goa-based design firm Rubberband. Overall, the students' interaction with Mr Vetoskar's unusual views resulted in a session that challenged their thinking.

Charlotte Wong Ka-man

Charlotte Wong Ka-man, a Hong Kong-based designer, has transformed the usage of recycled aluminium by integrating it into Wind.n.Sand's trademark sustainable jewellery. The eco-friendly accessories company upcycles 500 old aluminium coffee pods each month into key chains, hair-tie charms, and earrings. It's incredible how this young lady is helping to improve the environment. However, she claims that the quantity of aluminium coffee pods the firm can effectively recycle is "only a drop in the bucket," she intends to improve that in the coming days. Wong's adventure started in 2019 with an upcycling workshop introducing her to the conversation about aluminium coffee pods from the manufacturer to the end-of-life. There was no going back after that, as the young entrepreneur launched her jewellery line, Wind.n.Sand. 

Bolt jewellery 

Bolt has teamed with famous Estonian designer Tanel Veenre to transform its discarded bikes into fashion jewellery. The award-winning designer has curated the "Hardwear collection," which includes around 100 hand-crafted bracelets, earrings, and pendants. The aircraft-grade aluminium used in 230,000 Bolt scooters would be expertly turned into these lightweight, robust, and gleaming works of art. Before bending the metal, the designer must remove the green paint from the bodies of the Bolt scooters. Tanel adds a personal touch by anodizing and painting the nonferrous waste metal himself, producing a unique shine perfect for jewellery manufacturing. The Bolt jewellery line comprises carefully chosen objects treated with a reflective coating to improve visibility at night. This functionality would allow users to remain anonymous even during the darkest hours of the night.

Purchasing aluminium jewellery has various advantages. The key benefit is that it is easily accessible and reasonably priced. It is not allergic, and it is also ecologically friendly. Several companies make this jewellery out of recycled aluminium. People used to choose gold or silver jewellery, but as prices have risen, they have turned to less costly options. Aluminium is a metal that is becoming more popular on the market. It is well decorated. Because of their modest cost, these decorations appeal to everyone.