Sustainable Sales: John Hardy Jewelry & Tufenkian Rugs

Finally: Gilt.com is having a sale on eco-friendly jewelry!  Green luxury jewelry is so hard to find, so I’ve been waiting for a sale like this forever.

As I type this post, I’m wearing a pair of Balinese earrings – a gift from my boss – that go with everything.  I love them, but they’re not green (being handmade doesn’t excuse the cost of fuel for the flight to get to the US and, subsequently, my ears) and because of that, I haven’t been able to mention them on this site.

But, as per usual, Gilt has saved my ass by introducing me to John Hardy, who makes jewelry inspired by Balinese culture, and handcrafted to mimic the beautiful work that the Balinese people have been doing for years.

John Hardy’s Naga Collection – Image c/o ButterBoom.com

John’s story is so inspiring: it led him from daydreaming through the twelfth grade – twice – to trying to convince his soon-to-be wife that luxury and beauty could help change the world, to owning a $100 million business that practices more sustainability in and outside its factories than any other in Bali.  (Read more at Time’s website.)  The factory workers eat organic food, the advertising and travel costs of the business are offset by the planting of bamboo on Nusa Penida (every purchase from the Bamboo Collection goes toward planting, too) and their offices – in Bali and Hong Kong – are built using all natural materials.  There are even organic gardens between each building!

Since most of us can’t afford the kind of luxury prices John Hardy’s pieces run for, Gilt is having a sale on them today, starting at 9AM PST.  I’m not sure which collections will be offered, but if you’re looking for a guide, you can check out John’s site, here, or just wait for the surprise of the sale (which is here).  Need an invite?  Here’s mine.

Image c/o Gilt.com

Gilt is also hosting a sale on Tufenkian carpets, which are all-natural carpets made in Armenia and Tibet.  Tufenkian leans toward the social conscious side of the spectrum, working with native Armenian knitters living below the poverty line and providing medical assistance and housing to Tibetan workers.  They’re also adamantly against child labor, and refuse to hire workers under the age of eighteen.  Their sales are at both the main Gilt site and Gilt Man, so make sure to scour both!

[If you need an invite, please consider using my invite code.  It won't spam you, and only gives me a boost if you find something you can't live without.]

Tags: armenia, bali, balinese jewelry, carpets, handmade jewelry, Jewelry, oriental rugs, rugs, silversmithing, social consciousness, tibet

Comments (3)