ETHOS

We firmly believe in sustainable and ethical business practices.

The fashion and jewelry industries have a responsibility to reduce the environmental and societal impact of product manufacturing. We're conscious of our contributions.

We recognize there is always room to improve, but here are some of the practical steps and policies we implement in our production process. 

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LOCAL

We actively employ procedures to reduce our carbon footprint by sourcing and manufacturing locally. 100% of our jewelry is designed and manufactured locally in New York City from start to finish. We pack and ship orders from our Manhattan studio where each piece is dreamt up and later assembled by hand. We prioritize sourcing our materials and embellishments locally to reduce travel and transport at every stage of our production cycle.
All of our metals are refined and sourced in the USA and then cast into jewelry in New York City.

SAFE

Our manufacturers only cast metals that are certified toxicity-free to ensure that all products are completely free of any of any Substance of Very High Concerns (SVHC) and safeguard the health and wellbeing of our manufacturers. 

Our jewelry is cast by manufacturers who are certified compliant with the Conflict-Free Sourcing Initiative (CFSI) Conflict-Free Smelter Program (CFSP). This certification requires an annual audit for supply chain transparency and ensures that no metals mined from "conflicted areas" are used in the production of our products. By avoiding metal sourced from areas deemed conflicted, we reduce human and environmental harm, as well as the distances and energy expended to bring metals into production.

We visit our manufacturers nearly every day and take comfort in witnessing firsthand the wellbeing of the teams that make our brand possible. Our manufacturers are compliant with NYC building and safety regulations and are paid liveable wages in keeping with New York State Department of Labor wage regulations. 

RECYCLED

We exclusively partner with manufacturers who utilize recycled metals in the jewelry casting process. We refine and recycle the metals and materials from our production samples and unsaleable items to ensure we are left with the absolute minimum amount of waste.  We also use vintage materials whenever possible, such as vintage crystals and beads. 

Although we encourage you to save and use our storage boxes for years to come, we understand you may wish to discard it. To be safe, all of our jewelry boxes are made from recyclable materials. Approximately 50% of our boxes are certified eco-friendly and are made from FSC-certified cardboard, which means that all materials come from a certified FSC forest where no more wood is cut down that the forest can produce and where all foresters have proper safety equipment, training, and a decent wage.  

LOW WASTE

We only produce what we need, when we need it. We've consciously opted not to partner manufacturers that enforce high production minimums, as these often result in overages and obsolete inventory. Since we maintain minimal inventory, you may occasionally eye on an item that's out-of-stock– please feel free to email us and we will happily produce any sold-out items just for you at no added cost.

REFURBISH

We believe in the longevity of our pieces and encourage you to love your Sterling King jewelry for years to come. We offer repolishing and repair services to ensure any much-loved (and much-used) pieces can be refreshed to look good as new– even if they're not. 

 

If you have any questions about our sustainability practices or recommendations on ways to improve, please feel free to reach out.