Saint Teneu stands for:
good karma
You shouldn’t have to compromise your ethics for aesthetics, which is why responsible sourcing practices are at the heart of every piece of Saint Teneu jewellery.
a match made in heaven
Thanks to the combination of modern technology with traditional craftsmanship, you can be sure that your jewellery has been expertly made to last a lifetime and beyond.
a cloud 9 experience
Shopping for extra-special jewellery shouldn't be a struggle! You can count on honest & transparent advice and a chilled out & enjoyable design experience. Divine!
a breath of fresh air
Saint Teneu was founded with the belief that there's a kinder & more purposeful way to do business, which is why 10% of profits go to charity ✌️
“Deeds, not words.”
Far from being ‘set them and forget them’, putting the Saint Teneu values into practice is an ever-evolving endeavour.
Below you’ll find some of my latest thinking on what the ethos of Saint Teneu means in the real world.
As ever, if you’d like to know more or fancy a chat you’re very welcome to get in touch anytime :)
With love,
Megan x
Responsible sourcing practices
Developing ethical & responsible sourcing practices is a perpetual work in progress! Here’s what responsible sourcing practices look like at the moment for Saint Teneu.
Precious metals
One of the wonderful things about solid gold and platinum is that these metals can be recycled, refined and re-alloyed time and time again without degradation in quality.
Each piece of Saint Teneu jewellery is made with recycled precious metals, and it’s often possible to remodel your own sentimental gold jewellery into something new - just ask!
Gemstones
Saint Teneu gemstones are sourced from known & trusted suppliers - sometimes this means longstanding organisations which are certified by the Responsible Jewellery Council, sometimes this means buying directly from independent lapidaries.
The production of rough gem material (whether natural mined material or laboratory-created material) will always have some environmental impact an the cutting of rough gem material into finished, polished gemstones is an important yet often overlooked aspect of responsible sourcing in the jewellery trade. I prefer to source gemstones from suppliers operating their own safe cutting operations and from artisanal & small scale mines.
Some gemstone suppliers are truly pioneering in the field of ethical gemstones, so the priority for Saint Teneu in the coming years is to support & collaborate with these organisations in the groundbreaking work that they do.
Charitable giving
I’m pleased to say that 10% of the profit on each piece of jewellery sold in 2019 and 2020 was split 50/50 between two charities:
Better Without Mercury, which is an initiative to remove mercury contamination from an artisanal gold mine in Colombia and restore the land. I chose this initiative because it’s miner-led and begins to address the huge challenge of the continued use of mercury in artisanal gold mining. By the end of 2020, the land was tested and found to be free of mercury, thanks to the vision and hard work of the miners of La Fortaleza! Restoration of the land with native plants is ongoing, and the miners continue to pursue their dream of building a field school for responsible mining practices.
Choose Love, who provide services and protections for refugees and displaced people. Funding community-based organisations with love as a guiding principle seems, in my eyes, the best chance we have at creating a more just & compassionate society. With the proceeds of these sales, an incredible bundle of food, warmth, life-saving supplies and support has been funded for refugees in need 💖
In 2021, 10% of net profits were donated to:
Refuweegee, a community-led charity based here in Glasgow that gives people a way to welcome and embrace those newest to arrive. They strive to ensure that people who have been forced to flee their homes arrive in Scotland to a warm welcome and some of the things that will help people to feel more at home here.
In 2022 and beyond, Refuweegee will continue to receive 10% of Saint Teneu profits - imagine how much difference we can make, together, in time! Thank you to the moon and back for being part of it x
Fair Luxury is a collaboration of jewellery industry change makers who have a vision for a responsible and sustainable future, and at the beginning of 2021 we met to make the Fair Luxury Pledge.
The Saint Teneu pledge is to donate 10% of profits to charity and to design with recycled gold & platinum, and responsibly sourced & lab-created gemstones.