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As we all strive to live a more sustainable lifestyle, creating a more environmentally friendly wardrobe is a great place to start – and this extends to your jewellery collection, too.
One of the most effective ways to give your collection of clothes and accessories an eco-friendly makeover is to create a capsule collection. A capsule collection is a variety of clothes and jewellery pieces that can all be interchanged to create many different combinations, each of which go together effectively.
The reason creating a capsule collection is such an effective step towards living a sustainable lifestyle is that it encourages you to create a wide range of different looks using a select number of pieces, rather than buying new pieces that only work as a part of certain combinations.
When it comes to creating a capsule wardrobe, there’s plenty of advice out there – but how can you make moves towards living a more sustainable lifestyle by creating a capsule jewellery collection using pre-owned jewellery?
Look at your current collection
The first step to creating a capsule jewellery collection is very much the same first step you might take when creating a capsule wardrobe – look at the pieces you already own and identify the ones that will work within your capsule collection.
Spend some time sorting through the jewellery that you own and placing them into categories based on which pieces you’d like to keep and which you’d like to sell or donate.
Ideal pieces to keep include, of course, anything that you already wear often. Creating a capsule collection is all about identifying pieces that won’t simply sit in your jewellery box and can be worn on a wider variety of occasions.
You should also keep any pieces with more subtle designs. They say that ‘diamonds go with everything’ and this is true – especially when set against a simple silver or gold.
So, why exactly should you downsize your current jewellery range when looking to build a capsule collection? Alongside being environmentally friendly, one of the main upsides of building a capsule wardrobe is the step towards minimalism and simplifying the process of putting a look together. With less jewellery to sort through each day and with a core collection of favourite pieces, picking out the perfect jewellery for each outfit should be a breeze.
As for the jewellery that you decide against keeping, we recommend having pieces valued and selling them to a new owner or donating them to charity. This way they can continue their lifecycle and become the favourite pieces of someone new.
Selecting new pieces
Once you’ve put aside the jewellery that you’d like to keep, you can begin selecting pieces to add in order to complete your capsule collection.
We’d recommend your capsule collection include pieces in both gold and silver, unless you only ever wear one of these base metals.
Your collection should also contain pieces for everyday wear and pieces for special occasions. Perhaps a necklace, bracelet, pair of earrings and ring in both silver and gold, with some interchangeable pieces in either one of these metals that can be worn as dress jewellery – a more extravagant ring or statement necklace, perhaps.
With an everyday collection in silver and gold, as well as a dress collection in your preferred metal of the two, your jewellery collection as a whole will comprise of around 24 pieces.
This may sound a lot, but it’s likely a lot smaller a collection than the one you already have – and this time, it’ll be made up only of pieces you’ll wear often.
Why use pre-owned jewellery?
As one of the main goals behind creating a capsule jewellery collection is to make a step towards living a more sustainable lifestyle, pre-owned jewellery is certainly the way to go.
The production of new jewellery carries with it a significant carbon footprint, as the mining of diamonds and other precious materials requires a large amount of energy.
In fact, gold production carries the largest carbon footprint within the entire mining sector. The energy that it takes to mine 1 tonne of gold is estimated to release over 36,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide – a concerning figure when taking into account that the World Gold Council estimates an average 2,500 – 3,000 tonnes of gold every year.
By reducing the demand for new jewellery by buying pre-owned pieces, we can all do our part to decrease the need for such extensive gold mining.
The carbon emissions of jewellery aren’t limited to the mining process, of course – the manufacturing and distribution of jewellery across the world carry their own extensive carbon emissions, too.
Buying pre-owned also reduces the volume of jewellery being sent to landfills. Much of the pre-loved jewellery on the market – specifically the pieces here at Gatsby Jewellery – are still as high-quality as they were the day they were made. Why not do your part for the environment by giving a piece of second hand jewellery another chance to shine?
Shop for your pre-owned jewellery capsule collection with Gatsby Jewellery
Every piece of jewellery within the Gatsby collection has been hand-picked due to its high-quality and timeless beauty. We have a number of pieces throughout the site that would make a wonderful addition to any capsule collection.
When it comes to selecting simple pieces for everyday wear, we have a wide range of elegant necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings.
A diamond pendant is a beautiful way to finish a look – specifically one as stunning as this 0.84 Carat Old Cut Diamond Solitaire Pendant Necklace with its incredible platinum chain. These were a common feature of 1920s jewellery.
If gold is more to your tastes, this Victorian 42 Inch Yellow Gold Longaurd Chain, Circa 1850 would make an elegantly simple addition to any outfit.
As for dress jewellery, this is an opportunity to select pieces that truly catch the eye. The intricate design of this Mid Century 1.08 Carat Old Cut Diamond Ring is a stunning finishing touch to any occasion wear, even when paired with the more subtle silver or platinum pieces from your 1950s jewellery collection.
If you are looking for a statement ring to pair with gold accents, we can’t recommend this Art Nouveau Pearl & Diamond Crossover Ring enough. Featuring incredible detailing, lustrous pearls and sparkling set diamonds, this may well be a piece that you reach for again and again.
With thousands of pieces available at Gatsby Jewellery, you’re sure to find the perfect addition to your capsule jewellery collection here on our site – why not begin your search by browsing the full collection of vintage jewellery now? For more information or to arrange a viewing of any Gatsby piece, contact us today.