Today, running an environmentally and socially sustainable business shouldn’t come as something new. If we’re going to enjoy our earth and our communities for generations to come, we need to take action today. In the year 2022, both business and the environment can win together. Being socially sustainable is no longer a cost of doing business; it is a catalyst for innovation and opportunity. At Taylor & Hart, we consider more than just our profits — we consider our impact on society and the environment.

Designing with purpose is how we work towards a better future together. It is understanding that our ability to design isn’t just about creating meaningful rings; it’s about designing a supply chain that takes less from the earth’s precious resources. It fosters creative thinking in every aspect of our business, starting with green office solutions. We also find the purpose when we help each other become our best neighbours. At Taylor & Hart, design with purpose means connecting each ring we make to our global community; and that begins by working with and alongside our suppliers to strive towards sustainable choices and ethical practices. When we set our 2023 targets, we wanted to innovate our day-to-day practices rather than only focusing on an end goal. Just as in fine jewellery, high-quality results come from an effective process.

For the first time, we have published a Sustainability Report laying out our goals for the next three years. Making this information available to everyone will not only hold us accountable as we undertake this vital work, it will also give you a window into how jewellery has the power to nurture a more just world.

“By publicly committing to our sustainability roadmap, Taylor & Hart is telling the world that we’re proud to be held accountable as we unite together to rise to this challenge. ” Nikolay Piriankov, CEO Taylor & Hart

Our goals over the next three years are ambitious, and below are the highlights of what we hope to achieve:

• Using exclusively Fairmined gold to provide metals that have been certified against human rights, labour rights, and environmental standards
• Introduce lab-grown diamonds produced using primarily if not only renewable energy
• Source our Signature Rubies from a sustainable mine that will be reverted to its natural state at the end of its lifecycle and provides gems that are trackable from mine-to-market
• Ensure that every gemstone we source will have transparent origin and chain of custody information
• Develop a branded auditing process for all our external suppliers to identify and filter our risks in our supply chain.

Creating a legacy: 2023 and beyond

We realised that our potential to shape a better world is greater than ever, and we’re already feeling the ripple effect of our efforts echo throughout our industry. Our 2023 commitments are more than aspirational; they represent our genuine belief in a sustainable and fair future for all.

Many of our sustainability initiatives depend on the people and businesses we work with throughout the jewellery industry, and we hope that working together will create change. Through it all, we remain devoted to systemic change, flexible problem solving, and a collaborative approach to progress. But just as in fine jewellery, high-quality results come from an effective process. As we lay the groundwork for this new era, we recognise that ambitious goals are bound to come up against challenges. We know that our progress won’t always be linear, the horizon may shift, but we’re ready to do what it takes in our commitment to ethical engagement rings. The UN’s World Environment Day on 5th June 2022 reminds us that it is not too late to make a difference, but only if we start at every level from local to global; “There is #OnlyOneEarth, together we can protect it”.

Nikolay Piriankov, CEO and Co-Founder of Taylor & Hart commented:

“We strongly feel that jewellery is and always has been an expression of human stories. The support from Greater London Investment Fund will enable us to emerge from Covid 19 as a resilient business positioned for growth and ready to deliver a bespoke service for our clients. The financing will position us well to expand our highly skilled team, satisfy demand for online purchases and support our sales and marketing strategies.  Having taken the time to understand our business and develop a strong working relationship with the management team, Kala was able to help us to access the Greater London Investment Fund (GLIF) when we needed it most.”