What is our jewellery made of? Everything you need to know about the materials used in Julia Otilia’s sustainable jewellery

When it comes to sustainability, the use of fine, high-quality materials is an important pillar
for Julia Otilia. We choose our materials with great care, so that our pieces are long-lasting
and you can enjoy our jewellery for as long as possible. Are you curious about the stories
behind the materials that are used for Julia Otilia’s jewellery? Continue reading to find out!

Locally recycled silver

One of the metals Julia Otilia works with is sterling silver. The silver we use for our
sustainable jewellery is locally recycled in the Netherlands. As silver is a natural material, it
breathes and will inevitably oxidize with time. To keep your silver jewellery looking as fresh
and sparkling as possible, it’s important to regularly polish your silver jewellery. Are you not
sure how to take proper care of your favorite jewellery pieces? We’ve written a blogpost
that’s full of tips on how to take care of your sustainable jewellery, be sure to give it a read!

Sustainable solid gold and gold plating

For our golden pieces, we use both sustainable solid gold and high quality gold plating. The
solid gold we use is recycled locally in the Netherlands, just like our silver. We normally use
14K gold, but 18K gold or 24K gold can be used on special request. Our gold plating is
done locally in Amsterdam and is of the strongest possible quality, making our gold plated
jewellery as durable as possible.

Natural sweet water pearls

We love the delicacy of natural pearls, which is why you can spot a lot of designs with pearls
in our collection, such as our pearl creole earrings and our pure pearl necklace. We use
sweet water pearls in a soft pink color, although the shade may differ slightly per piece, as
pearls are a natural product. However, this quality also makes each pearl unique! Moreover,
our pearls are sourced personally by a local friend, allowing us to make sure they are fairly
obtained and traded.

Sustainable lab-grown diamonds

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but sustainable diamonds are even better! That’s why we
use lab-grown diamonds, for example in this delicate gold plated floret set. We source our
lab-grown diamonds close to home in Belgium. Curious as to why lab-grown diamonds are
more friendly to both people and planet compared to conventional diamonds? Read our
blogpost about lab-grown diamonds to find out more.

Certified tropical wood

Wood is another natural material we use in our jewellery designs. It is used in our wooden
bangle bracelet for example, and in our wooden raindrop earrings. This magnificent wood is
certified and sourced in Indonesia. We are grateful to be working with a very talented local
craftsman, who makes the most beautiful creations from this wood.

Materials sourced from nature

We also source materials directly from nature, such as the wild harvest seeds used in our
Guarana seed and maple leaf bracelet and our Rudraksha seed and mini leaf earrings. As
nature is a central theme and inspiration for Julia Otilia’s sustainable jewellery, we love to
incorporate as many raw and natural materials as possible in our designs. This way, our
sustainable jewellery pieces are not only an ode to nature in terms of inspiration, but also in
terms of materials.

Julia Otilia is a sustainable, ethical and fair jewellery brand from Utrecht. Are you looking for
a new piece of jewellery? Don’t forget to check out our collection.