life cycle assessment of our jewelry pieces

Sustainability is not a trend for us; it is our foundation. But how climate-friendly is a piece of jewellery from Maren Jewellery really? We did the math – and compared. The result: Our jewellery pieces generate an average of just 0.4 kg CO₂e during production. Studies show that conventional jewellery, depending on the method, causes an average of 29.27 kg CO₂e per piece(1). For this comparison, the lower value from the literature was used.

Our low CO2e footprint is the result of conscious decisions at every single step in our value chain.

Eco diamonds: Our synthetically produced diamonds generate an average of 11.8 kg CO₂e per carat (4) – whereas conventionally mined diamonds generate at least 56 kg CO₂e per carat (4)(8)(9).

Recycled gold from C.Hafner: Per kg of gold, recycled gold generates only 29kg CO2e. The emissions produced during gold refining are first reduced to a minimum; the remaining CO₂ emissions are offset through certified climate protection projects.(2)(5) – compared to conventional gold, which carries up to 16,000 kg CO₂e per kg (5)(6).

All these factors add up: Taking into account all office work at the businesses we work with, as well as the work of our freelancers, the total average CO2e footprint per piece of jewellery comes to 31.5 kg.(10) However, the actual production of a piece of jewellery accounts for an average of just 0.4kg CO2e of this.

As a reminder, the actual production of a standard piece of jewellery averages 29.27kg CO2e. Here, we see great potential for greater sustainability and want our approach to inspire other companies and our customers.

But we go even further:

For every piece of jewelry sold, 100 kg CO₂e are offset through certified climate protection projects.

In ourSustainability Reportzeigen wir offen den CO₂e-Verbrauch verschiedener Schmuckstücke – mit direkten Vergleichswerten zur konventionellen Schmuckindustrie. Wer es genau wissen will, findet dort alle Zahlen, Herleitungen und Quellen.

Our goal:sustainable jewelry, which is not only beautiful but also responsible – for you and our planet.

(1) For the calculation of the CO2 values of Maren Jewellery pieces, we have used the following parameters from studies: On average, 11.8kg CO2e (4) are emitted per carat of our synthetic Eco diamonds. Our recycled gold from C.Hafner is CO2e neutral, so 0kg CO2e are emitted per kg here (2)(5). For our recycled silver, we use 14.5kg CO2e per kg of silver. (3) For conventionally produced jewelry, we have used the lowest CO2e values found in studies: 56kg CO2e per carat of diamond (4)(8)(9), 16,000kg CO2e per kg of gold (5)(6), and 100kg CO2e per kg of silver (3)(7). More details can be found in the Material chapter. The production costs were calculated based on the following study: (3)

(2) Fritz, B.; Aichele, C.; Schmidt, M., "Environmental impact of high-value gold scrap recycling" The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. 2020 / This study was conducted based on data from various German refineries – including our own refinery. Our refinery, C.Hafner from Pforzheim, is even more efficient than others: per kg of gold, it produces only 29kg CO2e. And that's not all: the CO2 is offset, making the gold CO2e neutral.

(3) Parnuwat Usapein, Chantra Tongcumpou, "Greenhouse Gas Emission in Jewelry Industry: A Case Study of Silver Flat Ring" 2016

(4) Standford Magazine, Andy Martin, "A Man-Made Diamond Is Forever, Too: Nitty-gritty" Online] Available:https://stanfordmag.org/contents/a-man-made-diamond-is-forever-too-nitty-gritty. Accessed on 2025.05.03

(5) Dr. Philipp Reisert, "What is more sustainable: gold mining or gold recycling" [Online] Available:https://blog.c-hafner.de/oekologischer-fussabdruck-was-ist-nachhaltiger-goldgewinnung-oder-goldrecycling/. Accessed on 2025.05.03

(6) World Gold Council, "Gold and climate change – Current and future impacts" [Online] Available:https://issuu.com/christinadianparmionova/docs/gold_and_climate_change-current_and_future_impacts.Accessed on 2025.05.03

(7) Philip Nuss1, Matthew J. Eckelman, "Life Cycle Assessment of Metals: A Scientific Synthesis" 2014

(8) Dr Gbemi Oluleye – Research Fellow Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, "Environmental Impacts of Mined Diamonds" 2019

(9) Better Diamond Initiative, "Environmental cost of Mined Diamonds is alarming" [Online] Available:https://de.slideshare.net/slideshow/environmental-cost-of-mined-diamonds-is-alarming/42419020/. Accessed on 2025.05.03

(10) Maren Jewellery, "Sustainability Report" [Online] Available:https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0405/0268/9954/files/Nachhaltigkeitsreport_Maren_Jewellery_2024_full.pdf?v=1717496952Accessed on 2025.05.02 Page 11 -15