Ethical Ivory :: yay or nay?

Ivory is back on the agenda, only this time it’s ethical.


Russian businessmen are taking advantage of a continuing demand for ivory and mining woolly mammoth remains for their tusks. This ‘ethical’ ivory, which is mined from underneath the Siberian tundra, is expected to demand a premium price. Currently, Russia is exporting 60 tonnes of mammoth ivory to China annually.

A Woolly Mammoth. Image from The Age

Monique Pean is one designer using ethical ivory to produce stunning jewellery worn by admirers that include Michelle Obama. Her breathless pieces include other ethically sourced materials, including 100% recycled gold and conflict-free diamonds. Check out her website for more information on her ethical sourcing policies.

Monique Pean ivory ring

To be honest, I’m not sure what I think about ethical ivory or whether I’d ever purchase a piece, but I admire designers who make efforts to supply a market demand with ethical options. I do, however, worry that continuing to promote ivory as a luxury and coveted item will encourage the illegal elephant poaching trade, as fashionistas who can’t afford the ethical option may opt for a cheaper substitution.


Would you ever purchase an ethical ivory piece of jewellery?

Blog Love :: Thinker Maker

I love trawling through blogs. And if you're reading this post, I'm guessing you do too.

There are the pretty blogs, the helpful blogs and the news blogs. And they're all fun and great to read. But every now and then, you come across a great blog that gets you thinking, and I mean, really thinking. They make you re-evaluate your personal choices and fire up your passion for the subject being blogged about. I love these blogs and whenever I'm having a 'I feel lost' kind of moment, I surf my way over to one of these sites and read a post or two. They remind me of my personal loves and inspire me to keep working hard to make my business successful and lead a more sustainable lifestyle. Thinker Maker is one of these said blogs.

The blog author is Hayley Lau and if your thinking, 'that name sounds familiar...' then you'd be right. Hayley is the creator of the fashion label Heidi + Seek, which Hayley has chosen to put aside "...to find something [she] enjoys more." I really respect that and admire that Hayley had the courage to recognise that her business wasn't bringing her happiness anymore, and make the decision to move on to new things. When you've given something your all for a long time, this can be hard to admit, accept and make changes to move on.

Thinker Maker is an inspiring diary recording Hayley's journey towards a more thoughtful and sustainable way of living, focusing on the choices we make every time we buy something. It's about thrifting, being creative and, most of all, being aware of the impacts our shopping purchases make not only on the environment, but on the way our society functions as a whole. Each post is thoughtful, insightful and beautifully written.

I highly recommend you check out Thinker Maker and let me know your thoughts. And if you have or know of a great eco-fashion blog that you think is worth recommending, let me know so I can check it out too!
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