Fair Lux Focus on: Liz Stovell, Untold Jewellery

Liz Stovell is a London based designer-maker and long time member of the Fair Luxury team. As a bespoke jeweller each piece is unique, but what is consistent throughout her work is the aspiration for traceability in the materials supply. As creative director of her own brand Untold Jewellery, Liz is proud to be Fairtrade gold registered, and partners with gemstone dealers who work with the welfare of at the forefront of their business models.

What’s your background and how did you get involved in the jewellery industry?

I was first introduced to jewellery when I lived in Thailand in my 20s. There I was taught a traditional hand weaving technique with wax cotton after which I graduated into working with wire and then traditional jewellery making. I advanced my skillset to making fine jewellery at the British Academy of Jewellery when I returned to London.

What is the story behind the name "Untold"?

I love stories and jewellery has told many of those through time. Untold represents the stories yet to be told.

What part of running your own business are you most passionate about?

The majority of my business is bespoke, and I work with a lot of clients who are remodelling old jewellery, often for very sentimental reasons. I am passionate about these projects and work closing and sensitivity with my client to realise their vision.

Do you prefer creating collections of jewellery or working on bespoke pieces with customers and why?

I love bespoke work because of the relationship with the client. Being part of their stories is a real privilege.

In your opinion, what is the biggest consideration for a company who is wanting to operate in a more ethical way?

I would say transparency and education are important considerations. Be open and honest about what you think is achievable and how you’ve achieved it. Ethical working is complex and you can’t always do it perfectly, but being transparent ensures the consumer is appropriately informed.

What, if any, do you see as a boundary to companies taking steps towards being more sustainable and how can they overcome it?

Information and impartial support is hard to come by. It takes a lot of time and resources to become educated and change your ways of working. That is why organisations like Fair Luxury are so important to the industry. They have created a space to ask questions and learn more.

"Ethical" and "Sustainable" have become buzz words in the industry recently, do you think there can be Greenwashing within the industry and what should potential customers keep an eye out for when choosing to buy consciously?

There is definitely a green washing issue. I would encourage customers to speak to the companies they are interested in to gain clarity on their supply chain, materials, workers conditions etc. Companies who have educated and invested in true sustainability will be able to openly discuss it.

What are your opinions on FairTrade gold versus recycled or Fairmined?

I think together they provide a key element of sustainable sourcing. Obviously with both options there are considerations. All precious metal is recycled and using exclusively recycled metal isn’t reducing the demand for newly mined gold. Fairtrade and Fairmined addresses the human rights aspect of mining, and whilst millions of vulnerable people rely on the artisan mining industry for survival this should be adopted by companies if they are considering the full scope of sustainability.

Do you think we can ever be completely ethical as buyers and as designer/makers?

I don’t think being perfect is where we’ll make the difference. It’s a complex and ever changing landscape. I think everyone doing it imperfectly, rather than a few doing it well, will make more of a difference. 

If you could go back and give your past self a piece of advice when starting your business what would it be?

I consider myself very lucky that I was introduced to Fair Luxury at the beginning of my business so I have been able up adopt ethical practices from the start. I think my advice would have been to have more robust conversations with the my supply chain early on so I could have found the route I’m comfortable with a bit earlier. I would like to see more education at college and university level on sustainability so young designers are better informed before they come into the industry.

We hope you enjoyed this little view behind the curtain of one of our favourite brands, although we are biased. You can find out more about Liz and her brand Untold Jewellery.

If you have any questions you would like to put to the Fair Luxury team then get in touch!