The relationship between designer and manufacturer is one of the most important in your business. But building trust can be tricky, especially when you prioritise transparency and ethics in your supply chain.
We always welcome questions from our clients and prospective customers because we are confident in our sourcing and the choices we make. But we know how tricky it can be to have these conversations with suppliers, especially those outside the UK. We put this guide together to help you ask specific questions that reveal sourcing, labour practices, environmental impact and traceability.
So whether you’re wondering how to verify a supplier's environmental claims in the UK or what questions you should ask a supplier to assess their supply chain responsibility, use these questions to guide conversations, compare suppliers and document answers for your records.
1. Certifications and third-party audits
- What certifications, memberships or external audits (ethical, environmental, social) do they hold? Think Responsible Jewellery Council, B-Corp, Living Wage Foundation. Can they provide documentation?
- If not, are they willing to undergo independent audits as part of your supply agreement?
2. Metal and stone sourcing and traceability
- What is the source of their metals (gold, silver, platinum), diamonds and gemstones? Can they provide mine or regional origin details?
- Do they use recycled metals? If so, from what sources is it derived? (In-house, post-consumer reclamation?)
- Can they provide chain-of-custody documentation for metals and gemstones (e.g. supplier invoices, certificates, refiner/assayer reports)?
- Are their metals certified to recognised standards (e.g. Responsible Jewellery Council, Fairmined, Fairtrade)?
- For gemstones and diamonds, can they provide origin reports, treatment disclosures and any grading/laboratory certificates?
- Do they maintain batch-level traceability for materials used in production?
- How do they identify and mitigate risks associated with conflict minerals or high-risk sourcing regions?
- What steps do they take when a material’s origin cannot be fully verified?
3. Environmental practices
- Do they have an environmental policy or sustainability plan?
- What steps do they take to minimise environmental impact (waste management, water use, emissions, chemical handling)?
- Do they use energy-efficient processes or renewable energy in your operations?
4. Labour, working conditions and external suppliers
- What policies do they have regarding worker wages, hours, overtime and benefits? Are wages above local minimum wage?
- Do they have formal policies prohibiting forced labour, child labour and discrimination? How are these enforced?
- Can they share health & safety records or incident statistics?
- How do they vet and monitor their own suppliers for ethical and environmental standards?
5. Transparency, communication and improvements
- What level of transparency can they provide during production (photos, progress updates, material receipts)?
- Who is their point of contact for ethical or compliance questions?
- Do they have a plan for continuous improvement and partnerships to enhance sustainability and labour standards?
6. Pricing, premiums & traceability costs
- Does ethical sourcing or certification affect pricing? Can they break down costs associated with traceability, recycled materials and certifications?
- Are there minimum order sizes or premiums for ethically certified or traceable materials?
We ensure our suppliers can answer these questions before we work with them. We can see photographs or videos of facilities and working conditions. We can access copies of invoices and certificates tracing the materials.
It can be intimidating to ask such probing questions to a new supplier. So before you do, prioritise the questions most relevant to your business and product price point. Not every supplier will have all the answers or certifications, but their willingness to answer transparently and make improvements is key.
For your own piece of mind, keep written records of answers and supporting documents. Use them for marketing claims and customer-facing transparency. This way you will not be at risk of inflating your ethical claims or greenwashing.
