According to jewelry designer Elina Sternefeld, sustainability was (and is) not really an issue in the conventional jewelry industry. Quite apart from the fact that small businesses have to close again and again because they cannot withstand the cheap (and insufficiently transparent) competition that produces abroad. Elina Sternefeld, who brought her fascination for handicraft to the gold city of Pforzheim, quickly realized this. A jewelry design apprenticeship, design studies in Düsseldorf and a few stations in the conventional jewelry industry later followed consequently the establishment of her own label in Berlin.
Sustainability was (and is) not a big issue in the conventional jewelry industry.
Anyone who wants to change something in the conventional jewelry industry will eventually give up or start an own business. Elina belongs to the second group: she founded her jewelry label of the same name in 2019 to combine her passion for art and design with her focus on sustainability and transparency. Since then she has been designing unique pieces of the highest quality according to her own ideas.
When passion becomes quality. Elina Sternefeld.
The Berlin real jewelry label STERNEFELD stands for a timeless, simple and elegant style, concise shapes and handpicked, selected materials. And it stands for appreciation of the goldsmith’s trade, the responsible use of precious raw materials and sustainable, individual production. For her necklaces, bracelets and (wedding) rings, the jewelry designer only uses recycled precious metals and fair-won, conflict-free diamonds and gemstones. She gets this from a certified member of the “Responsible Jewelery Council”, which is committed to ethical, social and environmentally compatible standards as well as the observance of human rights along the entire value chain.
Each piece of jewelry reflects the passion and care with which it was created.
Gold mining is the overexploitation of nature and is often associated with the exploitation of workers. The use of recycled precious metals protects the planet and avoids the exploitation of people. That is why Elina does without unnecessarily long and opaque supply chains, which inevitably go hand in hand with eco-social grievances.
GOOD to know: conflict-free diamonds
Conflict-free diamonds are diamonds that are sourced exclusively from countries that are fully part of the Kimberley Process. The Kimberley Process was used by the diamond industry in 2000 to prevent the trade in conflict diamonds, which originate from war and crisis areas and whose illegal sale is used to finance groups of rebels or terrorists. The initiative tracks the origin of each diamond from the mine to the point of sale to prevent conflict diamonds from being sold in the gem market.
Instead of producing cheaply abroad, Elina relies on local craftsmanship. She herself manufactures part of the collection in her own small Berlin workshop and works on top with craftsmen from traditional companies in Pforzheim and Berlin. In this way, she can also offer an individual design service.
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Luxurious jewelry for every day and a whole life. Designed in Berlin. Fairly produced in Germany.
For Elina, jewelry is always a symbol of style, sophistication and elegance. She designs her high-quality STERNEFELD collections for women who should feel attractive and self-confident with the jewelry. And if you ask Elina what fascinates her most about her work? The whole process of making jewelry. From the first draft through production to the moment when the creation is worn. Yes, jewelry can feel that good.
