Sustainability
The fashion and costume jewelry industry is rampant with not only cheaply made products but also unethically made. Workers are paid very little for their labor, and cheap materials are used to keep costs down. However, at Bassi, we have a sincere ambition to do business differently and have always been an environmentally conscious company, committing to sustainable practices.
We are all looking for ways, big and small, to help be part of the solution to climate change. The younger generation consumers (millennials) are choosing sustainability over iconic brands. Brands are now also looking for sustainability, transparency and ethical manufacturing in the factories they work or partner with. Thus, as a manufacturer, we believe we’re in a unique position to support independent brands in working more sustainably and deliver real impact across the industry. Bassi is very exciting to be part of this journey and are therefore is in the process of fully integrating the required standards for a “green” manufacturing facility in order to create “responsible jewelry”.
Our jewelry by its very nature is a circular product. It can be repaired and recycled into new pieces, and all our metal scrap from our factory is recycled back into the system, thereby creating no waste. Additionally, by utilizing the latest materials and manufacturing know-now, Bassi produces jewelry that is made from 100% pre-loved recycled silver, sustainably sourced, and ethically made. We are very passionate about conscious production, and we aim to become your trusted supplier for sustainable quality jewelry. We want your customers to own pieces that will last them a long time, and avoid fast fashion items made from materials that are harmful to both people and our environment.
Thus, in order to match the rising global standards for sustainable manufacturing processes, below are a few small changes we are taking as a company to ensure we continue to keep improving the sustainability of every aspect of our business.
OUR PRODUCT
We proudly run our own factory which allows us to maintain a high level of quality, and more importantly, produce our handcrafted jewelry on demand (made to order) so no excess product is created. Hence, reducing greenhouse emissions and ensuring the sustainable consumption of resources.
Buy better, wear longer. We aim to produce high-quality jewelry so your customer can wear again and again and last years to come, helping one maximize its wear and supporting conscious consumption. We make quality jewelry that lasts.
Bassi currently meets the European Union’s REACH (Restriction, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals) regulation, which aims to restrict hazardous substances such as nickel, lead and cadmium in all parts of jewelry that could reasonably be accessed by the end consumers, and ultimately reduce the amount of harmful chemicals in the environment.
OUR PROCESS
Bassi has begun to grow and develop responsibilities in the social and environmental sectors, becoming a member of the Responsible Jewellery Council.
We also recycle or reuse where possible, including all soft plastics that come into our business, as well as cards, papers, and courier bags/boxes.
OUR STONES & MATERIALS
We want to make sure that all of the materials that we use come from a good place, which is why we are committed to ethical sourcing. We work exclusively with our longterm trusted suppliers who guarantee ethical sources of our materials including chains, findings, and gemstones.
We work hard with our stone suppliers to understand the country of origin for all of our natural gemstones, which are sourced from all around the world, from Brazil, India, to Madagascar. Upon request, we can send them to get certified at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) Bangkok with an additional cost.
All the crystals we use hand-glued and from Swarovski, who are at the forefront of sustainability. All Swarovski crystals are lead-free, and are responsibly produced through various social and environmental programs. We also work with Swarovski Zirconia upon request. Cubic Zirconia (CZ) is a laboratory-created material and is considered to be the best diamond simulant in the market. Faux pearls (also from Swarovksi) are being used where possible.
We work with lab-grown diamonds, also known as conflict-free or cultured diamonds. Lab-created diamonds are 100% diamonds and can only be distinguished from mined diamonds with sophisticated lab equipment. These diamonds are never mined, and processes the same identical chemical composition, hardness, brilliance and fire as mined natural diamonds. The only difference is that the origin is a laboratory and not the earth. Research suggests that the carbon footprint of lab-grown diamonds is around 5 to 10% of mined diamonds. Same as mined diamonds, the lab-grown diamonds are hand-selected and graded per the 4Cs of clarity, color, cut and carat weight. Please note that we only work with DEF colour (colourless) with VS1-2 clarity quality.
All the opals that we use are also lab-grown. However, we do work with Ethiopian Opals on special requests.
OUR DESIGNS
BASSI’s creations not only includes high-fashion season designs, but we have a core collection of classics as well, which are made to last for decades to come.
OUR PACKAGING
We try to limit the use of polybags (especially transit bags) as much as possible and are currently sourcing for eco-friendly poly bags made from plant-based/bio-based material to pack all our jewelry. Thus, instead of the conventional fossil-based plastics, the polybags will be 100% derived from plants. This is currently still an ongoing project.
EMPOWERING WOMEN
At Bassi, we respect and empower women in the workplace every single day in the strive towards gender equality. In fact, our current male to female ratio (factory and office combined) is 1:2.5 as of January 2020. To be more specific, 73 percent of our workforce is female, while 27 percent is male.