Meet Lylie, The Sustainable Jewelry Brand Tackling The E-Waste Issue Head-On

Eliza Walter has just dropped an extraordinary statistic. “Mining one ton of the earth’s ore produces an average yield of under 30g of gold, whereas for a ton of e-waste, you would find 300g gold. Our landfill sites are hidden goldmines.” Collectively, we throw away around 50 million tons of e-waste a year worldwide, so when put like that, it’s a wonder that Lylie is currently one of the only jewelry brands working with precious metals exclusively salvaged from e-waste.

The young entrepreneur trained as a goldsmith before starting Lylie in 2017, at the age of 24. She’s driven by “how good design can improve our lives – why a well-designed room makes us feel relaxed; how good UI helps navigate digital spaces.” When she learned about the hidden problem of e-waste, “it became a no-brainer that that was my direction of travel”.

Now, all her designs are produced in the UK from metals mined from discarded electronics, dental waste and Lylie’s in-house gold exchange, along with lab-grown or repurposed antique gemstones, earning her a special hallmark from the British Assay Office. Launching today, the Songs of Horae collection is inspired by the love messages Lylie has been asked to include on orders: “the sentiment jewelry can hold is astonishing, it is a symbol of romantic love, a celebration of significant milestones, and reminder of loved ones near and far.”

The collection is poetic and highly wearable, with diamond halo drops on pave huggies, twisted gold solitaires and classic bands engraved inside with secret messages. Illustrations of animals pairs that mate for life are used in promotional images instead of heteronormative pictures, and evidently the natural world inspires design just as much as production: “all of our sustainable jewelry features a ball detail, symbolizing the globe. Images of the coral reefs are on the studio moodboard alongside hidden details in Dutch Golden Age paintings,” says the designer.

Eliza explains why she believes that “timeless design and a circular story are increasingly becoming the ultimate hallmark of luxury.”

Tell me how the metals you use are mined.

To extract the gold in e-waste, you have to access the motherboard, which means other waste elements (ceramics, non-precious metals and plastics) are recovered, sorted and recycled in the process. Its scale is daunting, but e-waste also offers an immense opportunity. Entrepreneurs, academics, business and lawmakers need to address the dismantling and re-use of e-waste components as an urgent concern.

We also have a Gold Exchange: a recycling initiative that collects customers’ unworn jewelry using reusable postal pouches, in return for credit towards new Lylie jewelry. It has proved hugely popular; as well as enabling customers to contribute to our circular model, it also positively impacts our margins as once refined, this metal is 30% cheaper than recycled gold. We pass that saving onto our customers.

What are your thoughts on the future of sustainability in jewelry?

The jewelry market is fragmented and inherently unsustainable. Much of the global diamond supply has been mined to the detriment of human rights and the environment. The former Tiffany CEO Michael J. Kowalski wrote in the New York Times that “few industries in the world have a larger environmental and social footprint than mining”, we worked out that on average, the equivalent of almost two Statues of Liberty (325 tonnes), of earth has to be shifted to mine a 1.5ct diamond. We wholeheartedly believe the future of sustainable jewelry is lab-grown and recycled antique diamonds. How can a diamond that has caused suffering and environmental damage to mine, signify love? The origin stories of stones should match the love stories they represent.

How is your unique ‘salvaged’ hallmark different from usual hallmarks?

When we became the first jeweler in the UK to use metal salvaged from e-waste and dental waste, we were awarded our industry-first hallmark. Hallmarking has been part of the British jewelry industry since 1300, it’s also part of British law, as it signals that an independent test has guaranteed a jewel’s precious metals content. Lylie Jewellery was awarded a specific salvaged hallmark in 2017, to acknowledge our use of recycled precious metals. It has a sun design, and it sits alongside the five other traditional and legally required hallmarks on our pieces. The joy of starting the business with salvaged materials has meant we have established a reputation as a truly sustainable choice.

I love the idea that you have such a spread of price points. Why was this important to you?

We have four verticals, and whilst ethical engagement rings are our main focus, an annual collection of designs with a lower price point keeps the brand fresh and interesting. It also allows collaborations with other creatives such as illustrators, photographers, stylists andset designers. A spread of price points helps us to engage with younger customers; a Gen Z man with no brand equity can buy into Lylie with the limited resources he has, and (we hope) return later when his budget is larger.

What’s next for Lylie? Is BCorp status on the cards?

We aim to grow in a strong, sustainable way, expanding on what we already do – our gold exchange, ethical engagement rings, annual collection, remodeling and repairs services, and our engraving shop. To support this growth, we’re opening a UK workshop for end-to-end manufacturing, from 3D printing to casting in salvaged gold, ideally in an area of high economic need. We would love to apply for BCorp status; given the current environmental crisis, every decision should be driven by sustainability – the jewelry industry is often overlooked in terms of sustainability, but at Lylie we are determined to change this.