SUSTAINABILITY AND BUSINESS ETHICS

Does it make sense, is it possible, in this age of hyper-consumption, to want to create luxury jewellery using raw materials in a sustainable way and acting ethically?

Yes.

For me, SUSTAINABILITY is not an objective.

SUSTAINABILITY is the only way of doing things.

MY POLICY.

My policy on sustainability and business ethics is based on the following reflections.

I perceive a MYSTIC AWARENESS, an intimate understanding of the Cosmos and the certainty of knowing that I am united, that I belong to all things, to the beginning and the end of all things.

I am aware of the interconnectedness of life forms on the planet. Structurally, everything is connected to everything else.

And I cannot ignore it and act with my back to this awareness.

This is how KANT developed these reflections in "The Critique of Practical Reason",   

"Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and reverence (...):

the starry heavens above me and

the moral law within me.”

The starry sky - establishes man's position in the world and his connection to the other infinite worlds and the unlimited times. This gives rise to a feeling of smallness and insignificance.

We are a small part of a large, essential formulation that is incomprehensible to humans.

The moral law within -  the acknowledgement that we are not a mere animal life. We are a life independent of all sentient world, both matter and animality. Thanks to the moral sphere, man is truly free. 

Our morality must ensure that everyone acts according to his conscience for the universal good of all.

SLOWNESS, TIMELESSNESS. SOUL.

We are consumers. The dominant culture is consumerism. 

Consumerism doesn't just make us consume.

More subtly, through advertising that constantly captures minds, it makes each of us believe that we are the centre of the world, considering ourselves as a divinity to which there is no sacrifice that should not be consecrated.

This mercantile and selfish philosophy of life destroys ethics.

It destroys plant, animal and human life. Also of inanimate beings.

It destroys water and air, which end up poisoned.

And despite all this destruction, we still feel as empty and dissatisfied as we did at the beginning.

But there are three concepts that oppose the compulsive consumerism of our time.

And those three concepts represent TRUE LUXURY:

SLOWNESS, TIMELESSNESS and SOUL.

My proposal is rooted in these three concepts.

• I create EXCLUSIVE, ORIGINAL and UNIQUE handmade pieces using the ancient techniques of goldsmithing. I do not accumulate stock. There is only one unit for each piece.
• I use luxury RAW MATERIALS that in themselves speak of ETERNITY. The raw materials I work with are SUSTAINABLE, TRACEABLE, from ETHICAL BUSINESS ACTIVITIES AND RESPECTFUL TO PEOPLE AND THEIR WORK AND, sometimes, RECYCLED.
• Jewellery retains its emotional value long after the excitement of novelty has worn off. Not only for the intrinsic value of the materials, but also for the EMOTIONAL CHARGE that they retain and make them desirable and worthy of being cared for. And they are given from one generation to the next.

I aspire to create TIMELESS PIECES whose value increases over time.

In the words of Javier Gomá:

"It is necessary to choose well, with elegance in the use of freedom so as not to harm anyone.

(...) to be free is important, but we must also be elegant.

(...) elegance because it comes from elect, and it is like a compendium of good ethics.

(...) We will all die, but there is still time to improve and give an image of our life that is worthwhile, meaningful and purposeful.”

SOUL.

"With the ethic of respect for life

we enter into a spiritual relationship with the universe." 

Schweitzer.

THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF HUMAN EXISTENCE manifests itself in ETHICS and in AESTHETICS.

I work alone in my own workshop.

And I am fortunate because I have the invaluable collaboration, help and know-how of expert craftsmen from Bilbao and my very good goldsmith friends who advise me.

Our relationship is mutually beneficial: we all learn, we all contribute ideas, we all win. The basis of our relationship is esteem, respect, honesty, clarity and dignity.

What is the soul of a company?

Mr. Mikel Etxebarria Dobaran wrote it in his article, "Empresas S.A. (Sin Alma)". An extract.

THE SOUL IS THE BRAND. It is the engine of existence. Although it gives the impression of being immaterial, if it is not present, commercial life or even personal life is meaningless.

THE SOUL IS AUTHENTICITY. It is the roots. It is differentiation. The soul is humility. It is ethical, virtuous behaviour. A company has a soul when it respects all its stakeholders, its shareholders and employees, its customers and suppliers, financial institutions and public administrations, society and the planet in which we live. (...)  

A company has a soul when (...) is committed to business continuity over time. (...) complies with good governance regulations, pays its taxes, pays its suppliers and repays its debts (...) meets its customers on time and on budget and at a fair price.

What is it to have NO soul? 

to dismiss, even if it is legal (...).

to delegate the company to algorithms and be guided by technical criteria alone.

to fire a pregnant woman (...)

not to fulfill the contractual commitments to the client.

to put obstacles in the way of flexibility, work-life balance and respect for rest.

mobbing.

to have profitability as the sole objective, regardless of how it is achieved.

to pollut the planet by externalising costs.

to relocate production to pay poverty wages.

to delude oneself into thinking that robots will serve customers better than people.

to domicile in tax havens to avoid the tax authorities.

(…)

We must be scrupulous in identifying authenticity and use a particularly sharpened moral compass.

It is difficult for us to trust what we see. But I also believe we should allow ourselves to believe in the goodwill of others, to lean on each other and to do positive things in the service of humanity. To be kind and generous to others.

We should allow ourselves to become wise guardians of our planet no matter how much cheating, corruptibility and ignorance we detect around us.

CONCERNING THE FUTURE.

What do we want to preserve about the present so that the future will turn out as we would like it to? 

What do we want to change?

How do you want to live?