Currently Loving: Sacet Lujia Perched Butterfly Necklace review #EthicalJewellery

Taking pride in your jewellery purchases and investing in some beautiful, ethically made pieces that you'll cherish for years to come, needn't be as expensive as you may think. The latest addition to my collection is this stunning, yet simple piece from Sacet. 

If you think ethical jewellery looks too 'hippy' for your liking, Sacet will definitely help to change your mind! Sacet brings together a wealth of designers and talented craftspeople who are committed to transforming the designer jewellery industry by focusing on bringing a more sustainable approach to people, profits and the planet. This means that everything you purchase from Sacet is ethically and consciously crafted; the people making your jewellery are paid fairly for their work, their communities and livelihoods are supported, and all the materials used are ethically sourced. 

To help spread the word about what they're doing, Sacet very kindly asked me to review one of their pieces and I had the pleasure of choosing the Lujia Perched Butterfly Necklace, which immediately caught my eye when I was browsing their website.

Packaged in an elegant, eco-friendly (made from recycled materials) white gift box, this necklace has been designed by Meng Zhang, a London based designer who holds a MA in Jewellery Design from the prestigious Central Saint Martins. She's won numerous awards and has been featured in Harper's Bazaar, as well as being shortlisted in a design competition for the luxury Parisian brand, Chaumet.

The Lujia Perched Butterfly Necklace is a beautifully simple and timeless design which features an abstract perched butterfly on a delicate chain, or it can be turned around and presented as a classic heart. This interchanging design is something that definitely drew me to the piece because it's almost like having two necklaces in one! I've lost count of how many compliments I've received from friends and family since it arrived, and I love how it pairs so well with so many of my outfits, especially this vintage wine-red lace dress.

Made from recycled sterling silver, this necklace is available in three different chain lengths (16, 18 or 20 inch) and comes in three colours; Silver (as shown), Gold (18k Gold Vermeil on Sterling Silver) and Rose Gold (18k Rose Gold on Sterling Silver). 

 Sacet Lujia Perched Butterfly Necklace in Silver* retails for £59 and is available from sacet.com

Have you purchased anything from Sacet?

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Currently Loving: Zessoo Black Onyx and Snowflake Obsidian Bracelets review

Ever since I was a teenager, I've been mesmerised by gemstones and crystals, reading countless books about their meanings and cultural associations. Naturally, my jewellery collection reflects the beauty of these natural stones, and two of my latest additions come from the cruelty-free fashion brand, Zessoo.

You may remember my original post last month about Zessoo and their amazing vegan-friendly wallets which are made from leaves (yes, really - check out that feature here if you missed it!), and I was over the moon when the founder AJ Joshi asked me if I'd like to review some of their jewellery as they have a huge range of gemstone bracelets. 

Each bracelet is made from stones that are 100% natural (never tinted, dyed or made of recomposed material) which are sourced worldwide from areas such as South East Asia, Brazil and Africa. Once found, the stones are cut and polished in India, and then sent to Thailand to be hand-strung onto high-quality 4-ply elastic bands to ensure long-lasting durability. It's worth noting that Zessoo works only with suppliers that can guarantee traceability and high ethical standards along the whole production chain, from extraction to cutting, and then polishing and stringing, so you know that everyone who makes these has been treated humanely and fairly.

With such a wide range of bracelets to choose from, I decided to pick two that featured stones that I didn't already have in my jewellery collection; Black Onyx and Snowflake Obsidian.

Black Onyx is often seen as a strong protective stone, one that helps to shield a person's body and mind from negative energy, as well as helping to ground them in the here and now. It helps to prevent the draining of personal energy during times of emotional turmoil such as periods of stress, confusion or grief. 

I was immediately drawn to the beautiful and unique pattern of Snowflake Obsidian, which is a volcanic glass that's created when lava cools down. Revered as a stone of purity, many believe that it has healing properties which can help to balance the mind, body and spirit, calming the senses and clearing built up toxins that can prevent the flow of positive energy.  

A rudraksha seed (in Gold or Natural) is added to each bracelet, and these are harvested from trees growing in the foothills of the Himalayas. Like semi-precious gemstones, they're highly valued for their protective and healing virtues and have been traditionally used as prayer beads for centuries in Hinduism (the name translates as 'Lord Shiva's teardrops'). Rudraksha seeds are believed to increase concentration, clarity, memory and bring peace of mind and prosperity, as well as providing spiritual and mental guidance in meditation.

I was absolutely smitten when the bracelets arrived because they looked and felt more incredible in real life than I was expecting. The high-shine glossy finish on the stones is superb, and I've had so many compliments and questions about them from friends and family! If you're looking for some new gemstone bracelets, definitely check these out.

Zessoo Black Onyx and Snowflake Obsidian Bracelets* (£29 each) are available from zessoo.com

Do you like gemstone jewellery?

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Weekend Style: Zessoo Leaf Leather Wallet review #SlowFashion

Sustainable fashion has never been more on-trend than it is now, and with a growing number of consumers looking for stylish alternatives to leather goods, more companies are now using eco-friendly materials for products like wallets and accessories. Zessoo is one such British brand that's helping to lead the way.

Launched late last year, Zessoo was set up by AJ Joshi, a London-based tech entrepreneur whose eyes were opened to the horrors of animal cruelty after watching popular documentaries such as Black Fish and Cowspiracy. This spurred on a desire to become vegan and a passion to help others live a more cruelty-free and sustainable lifestyle. After travelling through Asia and meeting local communities who were producing products by hand using only locally sourced materials, he had the idea for a range of vegan-friendly fashion accessories. 

Zessoo now has a range of flagship wallets that are made from 'leaf leather', a durable eco-friendly material which is made from fallen leaves, bonded together by natural sunlight, hand-stitched and coloured using natural dyes. Each wallet is handmade making it completely unique as no two leaves are the same, making it a very special gift idea, or simply a wonderful treat for yourself.

As a blogger, I'm incredibly lucky as I frequently get sent a lot of really amazing products from a wide range of brands to review, and when Zessoo got in touch to ask what I thought about their leaf leather wallets, I got pretty excited! It's such a privilege to receive a handmade item like this and I've been fascinated by its quality ever since it arrived.

Each wallet takes around 6 weeks to make and Zessoo has a range of different styles and sizes available in several colours. I was kindly sent a Gandhi Card Wallet* (£19) which is based on a traditional fold-out design. The wallet has compartments for cash (notes) and six cards, with extra space behind these slots to store things like receipts or additional cards.

The 'leaf leather' blows my mind though. It feels very lightweight, yet incredibly durable and is much thicker than I imagined it would be. Another interesting aspect is that this material doesn't have any noticeable 'scent' to it - something that has always bothered me about leather goods is that slightly nauseating smell that it has. The natural texture of this leaf leather gives it a cool 'distressed' look which I love, and I've never had so many compliments or questions about a wallet before from friends and family, since it's been in my handbag! 

If you're looking for a new wallet that's 100% cruelty-free and from an innovative company that has admirable eco and ethical credentials, I can't recommend Zessoo enough.

This wallet even arrived wrapped in 'Zessoo paper' - a special type of plantable paper which is made with seeds so that you can create a little patch of wildflowers in your garden to help out local bees and butterflies - how cool is that?! Alongside their range of wallets, they also sell jewellery and are looking to branch out into other leaf leather-based goods such as backpacks in the near future. I can't wait!

To find out more about Zessoo and to shop online, visit zessoo.com

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