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Responsibility
OUR APPROACH
As a sister-lead, B-corp certified business, we want to stand proud about what we do and with that comes an integral sense of responsibility.
The term sustainability is somewhat at odds with our industry, an industry that thrives of newness and utilises natural resources. There is no denying that. That's why we don't shy away from impact and instead focus on being the most
responsible brand we can be. We are proudly a B-corp business and strive to do better year on year.
We continue to grow the brand in a conscious way - always with an unwavering commitment to do better. We by no means know it all and there have been mistakes along the way.
An overview of our approach can be discovered below with a more in-depth review on our annual reports. Please do get in touch with any questions or advice, we'd love to hear it.
OUR TEAM
We are a female owned and managed team, driving the brand forward without investment. We decided to maintain ownership and grow at a slower, more responsible pace to ensure we build a brand with longevity and authenticity.
Otiumberg HQ & boutique in London Bridge operates in a building supplied by 100% renewably sourced energy, with a strict recycling and compost process in place. All these elements are assessed and factored into our annual life cycle assessment, more of which can be discovered on our annual reports.
Discover more on our Bcorp status on this dedicated journal post.
OUR ETHOS
Arriving from backgrounds in luxury fashion, an ethos of craftsmanship, materiality and timelessness has always threaded through Otiumberg.
We work in both fine and demi-fine materials with a focus on minimal design and a muted palette. We often craft pieces in small quantities to avoid overproduction andrelentless end of season sales. That’s why you’ll see Made-To-Order and Pre-Order on the site, very rarely a sale.
Our pieces are designed to feel special and remain loved, from the personalised collection to our dainty solid gold pieces that become your second skin. That’s really what Otiumberg is about.
"Trying to act truly sustainably is incredibly challenging in an industry that is so driven by seasonal consumption and newness. For us, sustainable fashion means embracing a slower, non-seasonal approach and creating meaningful pieces that can last."
Rosanna Wollenberg, Co-Founder
OUR MATERIALS
Recycled metals - Our workshops source our precious recycled raw metals from refineries that are certified by the Responsible Jewellery Council Chain of Custody. This certification assures us that the refinement process and supply chain is closely monitored to meet strict social, ethical and environmental standards.
Single Mine Origin Gold - While recycled metals decrease our footprint, we also recognise that mining is a vital form of livelihood for more than 100 million individuals around the globe. That's why we recently launched a capsule collection in Single Mine Origin Gold and continue to strategize around how we can integrate itfurther. Read more on this in our dedicated journal post.
Recycling & Repairs Scheme – Jewellery is loved so much it is often worn every day for years to come. That’s why we offer a repair, replating and restore service for all our customers to access - read more on our dedicate page.
Gemstones - Traceability and responsible sourcing are major challenges in the natural diamond and gemstone world. We cannot deny that these materials are part of a real world, with millions of people involved in sourcing, cutting and selling.
Despite the progress we have made in other areas of our supply chain, we
recognise that the industry, and Otiumberg, has a way to go. Whilst we annually map out the origin of our stones to avoid any conflict regions or known ethical issues, we recognise that purchasing can happen at least one step from the mines and that it can be hard to ascertain concrete provenance information. The associated supply chains are more complicated than metals as there are fewer established certification systems in place.
Looking ahead, we hope to create a more intentional sourcing process that begins with our own internal education to ensure we have the information and insight to make the right decisions in this somewhat complicated industry.
OUR PACKAGING
Our packaging is both beautiful whilst also being kind to the environment.
Our paper bags and boxes are crafted from FSC sustainably sourced paper and can be easily recycled alongside household paper recycling systems. Our pouches are crafted from Raime; a natural fibre woven from the fibre of the raime plant and biodegradable. Our pouches are designed to be used for storage of our jewellery whether that’s on the run in your handbag or at home. After that, Raime, as a plant-derived fibre, biodegrades. We have eradicated the need for plastic mailing bags and instead crafted FSC e-commerce boxes that are both hardy and recyclable.
“One of the biggest challenges in the jewellery industry is eradicating
plastic. What a lot of consumers do not see is the copious amounts of
polybags used for shipping across international supply chains. This was
such a tangible issue for us that we simply could not ignore.”
Rosanna Wollenberg, Co-Founder
OUR PLASTIC POLICY
We have been working to eliminate the plastic we don’t need in our supply chain and innovate on the plastic we do need so that it is safely reused, recycled or composted. Polybags are the clear plastic bag that protect jewellery from workshop to our warehouses. It’s the plastic you never get to see. Well, we’ve taken action. We receive each piece in either a biodegradable or home compostable bags. We have swapped bubble wrap for cardboard and paper padding along with strong instead of tape. It’s the little details that count.
OUR COMMUNITY
Community refers to everyone the brand encounters from our workshop teams to our suppliers and customers. As we grow, we recognise the strength of diversity, inclusion, and honest relationships with every stakeholder.
Charity – we have supported Choose Love since 2021 and continue to donate close to 0.5% of total annual sales to displaced communities. The partnership, like most things at Otiumberg, began with a customer. Read more on our partnership in the dedicated journal page.
OUR ETHICAL PRODUCTION
We craft our pieces in Thailand and India, within which remains the workshop we worked with from the very beginning of the brand. It has been wonderful to grow alongside the same team and build such a positive relationship. With every workshop we always strive to establish honest, open and transparent relationships which are supported by more formal audits and agreements that hold us all accountable for high levels of responsible and ethical practice. This mix of personal and professional due diligence ensures the safe, healthy, and fair working conditions, as well as gender equality and fair wages of the staff at each of our workshops.
We ensure time is taken to speak daily with our workshops and we strive to visit them annually to ensure the relationship remains strong. It’s also a complete joy to see the expertise and skill that goes into every single piece.
OUR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Carbon action - whilst we believe that looking internally and improving the footprint of our own production and supply chain is the best way to be responsible, we also recognise the value of offsetting where we fall short. We know that carbon calculations are not perfectly accurate, but they are a great way to take immediate climate action. We employ specialist decarbonisation partners to roll out annual Life Cycle Assessments to measure, reduce and offset our footprint effectively.
Whilst we recognise that Carbon offsetting is an imperfect solution, for a small brand, Gold Standard projects offer us a way to mitigate our impact to some degree. The most recent offset for 2021 included investment in solar, wind and bio-mass energy projects.
