Independent jewellery retail business, Bradley’s Jewellers York, which owns and operates the Eco Rocks laboratory-grown diamond jewellery brand, has expanded its offering with the new Eco Gold by Kay Bradley collection.
The collection of wedding rings, solitaire engagement rings and eternity rings uses a special alloy of 18k Single Mine Origin (SMO) Gold that’s unique to the UK market. This precious metal can be traced back to its point of origin – the Hummingbird mine in Yanfolia, southern Mali – and each stage of its journey from Africa to Switzerland and the United Kingdom can be mapped for greater trust and transparency.
Upon arrival in the United Kingdom, this 24k gold is refined and alloyed to create a special green gold colour. It is this shade of gold that appears in the new Eco Gold by Kay Bradley collection and makes Bradley’s Jewellers one of the first UK retailers to produce and sell “green gold”.
Kay Bradley says: “We had to refine more than 100 grams of 18k green gold to ensure this new range could be manufactured for our customers. I am so proud of what we have achieved and the story we can share with our customers through this unique collection. Eco Gold by Kay Bradley is centred on SMO Gold, which makes knowing exactly where your gold comes from and understanding what conditions it is mined under a real possibility. I hope people are inspired to see precious jewellery differently through these new pieces.”
The Eco Gold collection includes polished, brushed and sand-blasted wedding rings ranging from petite 2mm widths to broad and chunky 8mm widths. New engagement rings with SCS-007 Sustainability Rated laboratory-grown diamonds in talon claw settings have also been crafted in ‘green gold’ as part of the Eco Gold collection, alongside matching micro-grain set half eternity rings so customers can buy complete bridal suites.
Charles Betts, Managing Director of The Betts Group, which supplies SMO Gold to UK jewellers, says: “We are delighted to partner with Kay Bradley on her unique Eco Gold collection. This collection uses a mix of silver and responsibly sourced 18k Single Mine Origin (SMO) gold to create a delicate, earthy green tone – this process is carried out at our refinery in Buxton. SMO gold is sourced from two specific mines in West Africa which are run to the best international standards and are socially and environmentally responsible. Every gram of this gold is traced by batch from the mines and is independently audited through an LBMA (The Independent Precious Metals Authority) refinery in Switzerland to ensure total segregation from any other material. Kay is the only British jeweller creating pieces with green SMO gold, which makes these pieces extra special.”
Pieces are Created in the UK and hallmarked by Birmingham Assay Office with Kay Bradley’s signature ECO sponsor mark, the SMO Gold logo and the Platinum Jubilee hallmark that is being struck on items created in 2022.
Eco Gold is a collection under the Eco Rocks brand, which was created by Bradley’s Jewellers and specialises in laboratory-grown diamonds and Single Mine Origin (SMO) gold. Pieces are designed in-house by Kay Bradley and made using Green Rocks laboratory-grown stones. The customer experience is enhanced with in-store signage, distinctive packaging and a dedicated ecommerce website.
Bradley’s Jewellers is an accredited retailer of Certified Sustainability Rated Diamonds, under the ‘SCS 007 Jewelry Sustainability Standard – Sustainability Rated Diamonds’ initiative. This authorises the business to fully represent and sell certified diamonds and provide customers with various assurances, including diamond origin traceability, climate neutrality and corporate social responsibility.
Find out more about Eco Rocks York or read more about Single Mine Origin (SMO) Gold, here.
