Part 1: India, Chapter 3: Overcoming the Challenges

The ability to trace materials is a challenge in all the areas we work. Jaipur is one of the world’s most important gemstone hubs and has been for centuries, making traceability exceptionally difficult. We work with small workshops who have decades of experience sourcing stones, and I travel to Jaipur twice a year to oversee the choosing of our gems.  

In the modern jewellery world, we have also experienced enormous pressure to use machines to make our pieces. As an ethical brand championing handmade crafts, we are committed to never using machines in our business. Each Pippa Small piece is made entirely by hand. We are committed to supporting artisanal craft and the excellent goldsmiths and gem-cutters we partner with in Jaipur.  

Another challenge we face in India, and everywhere we work, is the price of gold. We have seen an enormous jump in gold prices in recent years and have had to find ways to continue creating our pieces despite this. We have created many collections in mixed metals this year and are proud to be using 90% recycled gold in India.