Jeweler Uses Recycled Goods to Create High-end Designs

Ruff & Cut incorporates sustainable techniques in all aspects of its production process, including using recycled materials and socially responsible mining. Photo: Ruff & Cut

In the 1953 classic Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Marilyn Monroe sings “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” a sentiment shared by women around the world. Glittering and glamorous, diamonds may just be a girl’s best friend, but are they sustainable as well?

Ruff & Cut, a jewelry line that incorporates sustainable techniques in all aspects of its production process, was founded by Wade Watson during the summer of 2008. Prior to creating Ruff & Cut, Watson co-founded Pride Diamonds, a company in Sierra Leone that combines socially responsible mining with sustainably-manufactured jewelry. This means no more blood diamonds, less violence in war-torn areas like Sierra Leone and significantly less damage to the land.

Ruff & Cut brings the same philosophy to its newest collection of jewelry, which features everything from diamond-studded engagement rings to gold nugget earrings.

Eugene Torres who calls himself the Jack-of-all-trades at Ruff & Cut says, “All our gold and silver is 100 percent certified recycled. Rough diamonds are a more sustainable diamond than polished stones because they require fewer steps in production and thus require less resources to achieve the final product.”

“We’re sustainable right down to the recycled paper we print our certificates of origin on,” Torres adds. “To Ruff & Cut, sustainability means giving both people and the environment a brighter future. All of our diamonds can be traced back to their original origins and are ethical, non-conflict diamonds. Knowing where your diamond comes from is crucial if you’re concerned about ethics and sustainability.”

Ruff & Cut realizes, however, that in order to improve the sullied reputation of the mining industry, the company must extend its focus beyond just the environment. That’s why 10 percent of each sale and a portion of Ruff & Cut’s profits go directly to non-profit organizations whose sole aim is to improve the quality of life and inhumane labor practices found in mining communities like Sierra Leone.

Ruff & Cut’s nonprofit partners include Shine on Sierra Leone, The St. George Foundation, Materials Sourcing and Bambai Bling – all organizations that seek to achieve the kind of transparency in diamond mining that will improve conditions for both workers and the environment.

“Only recently has the public become aware of the need for sustainability and sustainable products,” Torres says. “If you asked the average person twenty years ago what sustainability means, they’d have stared at you blankly. Now that we are aware that we leave an imprint, people care enough to try to minimize that imprint, even when it comes to products that have been historically unsustainable such as fashion and luxury items.”

While the fashion world has become increasingly aware of environmental issues in the last decade, few consumers today would associate high-end jewelry with sustainable practices.

“Sustainable jewelry is, without a doubt, the next frontier of the ecological battlefield,” Torres explains. “People know they’re supposed to recycle water bottles and cans, but do they know they should be recycling their gold? The mining industry can be hazardous to both the environment and the people within that environment if it is not conducted respectfully. This puts the onus on the consumer to ensure that their jewelry purchases come from reputable and sustainable sources.”

Ruff & Cut’s jewelry incorporates raw, earthy designs with the natural unpolished finish of a rough diamond. Using only recycled metals, Ruff & Cut approaches the glitz of high-end jewelry collections from a refreshing point of view. Torres says, “We’re a small company with big aspirations, of which our number one aspiration is protecting people and the environment.”

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