Our Environmental Commitments: From Brass Stamping to Gold Plating
At Volgara, each piece of jewellery is the result of a series of steps: shaping the brass, assembling the pieces by hand in our workshop in Nice, and then gilding them with 24-karat fine gold.
These steps draw on French expertise, as well as on manufacturing practices to which we pay close attention. Our environmental approach is based, in particular, on the documented commitments of our brass stamping and gold plating partners.
French partners
For our brass stampings and gold plating, we work with professionals based in France who have specialized in their fields for several generations.
This direct relationship allows us to know the workshops to which we send our parts and to better understand their methods. It also gives us access to the information they provide regarding waste management, pollution prevention, and their supply chains.
Our goal is to bring these collaborations to life and highlight the processes involved in crafting our jewelry.
Brass Stamping: Managing Waste and Resource Use
Our French stamping manufacturer has established an environmental policy covering pollution prevention, waste management, and energy consumption control.
Its commitments focus in particular on waste recycling, the prevention of risks associated with hazardous products, employee training, and giving preference to local suppliers.
This approach also includes monitoring environmental goals and continuously improving the company’s practices. By sourcing from this partner, we are supporting a workshop that combines the transmission of its expertise with a systematic focus on the impacts of its operations.
Our stamping supplier has an ISO 14001-certified environmental management system. This standard provides a framework for identifying the impacts of the business, managing them, and continuously improving practices.
Gold Plating: Managing Pollutants from Surface Treatment
Gold plating gives our jewelry its luster and finish. This metalworking process requires specialized equipment to manage the waste it generates.
Our gold plating partner, a century-old Parisian workshop, has an on-site wastewater treatment plant and operates on a “zero-discharge” basis. This facility isolates pollutants, which are then sent to an accredited company for recycling.
This approach addresses a key challenge in electroplating: controlling pollutants generated by the surface treatment of parts.
Procurement that incorporates environmental and social commitments
Our partners’ choices also extend to their own suppliers. Our stamping manufacturer incorporates environmental and social criteria into its responsible procurement policy. Geographic proximity and initiatives related to energy conservation and recycling are among the criteria it considers.
Our gold plating partner, for its part, purchases its gold from French suppliers who are committed to transparent sourcing, excluding child labor and the financing of activities that violate human rights.
These commitments extend our focus on manufacturing beyond the workshops with which we work directly.
Sharing the stories behind our jewelry
We would like to share the concrete actions that accompany the creation of our pieces, attributing each commitment to the workshop that carries it out. The production of stamped pieces and gilding are two important steps in our process. The practices presented here are based on information published by our partners and do not constitute an environmental certification for Volgara jewelry.
At our level, we choose to work with French professionals whose craftsmanship we know and who document their commitments. We will continue to update this page as new information becomes available.
Learn more about the history of our brass stampings and this French craftsmanship to understand how these designs take shape before becoming Volgara jewelry.