We have been fans of Angela Benjamin's beautiful jewellery for many years - and additionally a fan of her as a very stylish being in general. When we discovered that Angela was taking a sustainability journey very much in line with ours, we were so excited to discuss her joining the Plum & Belle family. Her jewellery, combining geometric boldness with an organic softness, is deeply considerate of her materials, focusing on ensuring that there is no needless waste, no excess production, and that all of her resources are from trustworthy, certified, ethical sources.
AngeB Designs and our key values:
- Natural materials
- Recycled/reclaimed/reused
- Minimal waste, pollutants and emissions
- Made in the UK
- With certifications
I personally source all of the materials myself and know their ethical origins. The stones come from Ward Gemstones in Hatton Gardens, who work in a stringently ethical way. The silver is all certified eco silver, sourced from Responsible Jewellery, and I reuse all of the scrap metal that's created during my making process. Each piece is shaped by hand, one by one, using fire (from a low carbon emission fuel source) and muscle power (very low carbon) and made to order, to avoid using excess amounts of materials to create surplus stock. Everything is made in my workshop located in my back garden, affectionately known as the 'she-cave', so there's no excessive journeying around my production either.
The Eclipse bangle is made from recycled silver which has been smelted and formed into one single rod of silver wire. The design is constructed by repeatedly hammering and heating the metal to the desired shape before finally soldering the ends together. I think this piece epitomises the low waste element of my brand, with the shape of the bangle reflected in the cyclical nature of sustainable, ethical design.
As someone who has adopted a slow-living lifestyle, I was drawn to Plum & Belle’s selection of vintage and artisanal products. I feel that encouraging people to buy beautiful things that they will want to cherish is the way to help reduce the current societal excesses.
I would like to continue making my work and would love to have one or two more stockists with a similar ethos. I am also planning on teaching larger sized jewellery making workshops later this year.