Understanding the mine-to-market journey is critical for clients who want to feel confident that their jewelry materials have been responsibly sourced, says Anna Bario, cofounder of Bario Neal.
The Philadelphia- and Brooklyn-based jeweler has been at the forefront of setting new transparency and responsibility standards. Its efforts go beyond simply using traceable gems and metals; among other things, the company works to foster long-term relationships with artisanal mining communities, support labor rights, and contribute to environmental preservation.
“It is meaningful to us that our team can explain to customers not just the visual and physical properties of diamonds, gemstones and precious metals, but also have an understanding of small-scale versus large-scale mining, and the tens of millions of individuals and countless ecosystems that are part of the jewelry industry’s supply chain,” says Bario.
Here, the designer talks about the challenges of sourcing, as well as how the brand shares its pioneering work with its clients and how its Prismic collection is a stellar showcase of its ethos.
What do your clients want to know about sourcing?
Our clients are deeply curious about the origins of the materials in their jewelry. The degree of research and information that our clients seek can range from simply seeking our assurance that materials are responsibly sourced, to asking for documentation of our stated provenance. We put a lot of effort into our Bario Neal Standard, which is how we manage our traceable supply chain, and then share that information in our biannual sustainability report. The report shows our clients the background work that we do to ensure that the jewelry we are creating for them is beautifully crafted from the origin point of the raw materials, all the way through to our workshop. We see ourselves as jewelers creating intergenerational value; we want to be crafting modern heirlooms that will be beloved hundreds of years from now.
Through our Heirloom Concierge Service, clients can participate in redesigning or repurposing older pieces with ethically sourced materials, adding a new dimension of sustainability to their jewelry.
Do your clients engage with the sourcing story?
Bario Neal attracts a conscious clientele who not only want beautiful designs, but also want to ensure their jewelry is aligned with their values of sustainability and social responsibility. Many clients come to us because of our transparency, asking us to dive deeper into the ethical implications of their purchases.
We use the analogy of a “choose your own adventure” book: We want to offer the most information possible to our clients, but we never want to force anything on them. We have resources to share about all the materials we work with, and our sustainability reports go into granular detail, but we prioritize the clients’ experience in working with us to select or design their ideal piece of jewelry. Our clients want jewelry they can be proud of in every way, and for some of our clientele, a degree of engagement with responsible sourcing is often a requirement for purchase.
Clients often share that they want the legacy of their jewelry to reflect both beauty and ethical responsibility. Once they learn about the extra steps we take — whether it’s supporting Fairmined gold from small-scale mining communities or working with suppliers who provide fully traceable gemstones — they become advocates of our mission.
What challenges do you still face in maintaining a transparent supply chain?
One of the major challenges we face is the complexity of verifying the full supply chain for every material we use. While we prioritize working with suppliers who are committed to transparency, it can be difficult to track materials as they pass through multiple hands, especially in regions where supply chain documentation is limited or inconsistent. Simply put, if a material’s origins can’t be verified — we don’t use it.
There’s also the issue of scale and capacity. Small-scale mining operations often lack the infrastructure or resources to provide the kind of detailed documentation we require, making it harder to ensure full traceability. Where we can, we try to take advantage of our nimbleness as a smaller design brand to facilitate some of the education and resourcing that will allow independent miners or small operations to integrate into our own supply chain. We continue to push for improvements and collaborate with like-minded suppliers to create more traceable and responsible sourcing methods.
Additionally, the costs associated with ethical sourcing can sometimes create financial barriers for small mining communities, which means we must continuously work on fair pricing models that ensure they receive equitable compensation.
How does your new Prismic collection express your style and your views on traceability?
Each piece in the collection is crafted with fully traceable materials, whether it’s Fairmined gold, reclaimed precious metals, or ethically sourced gemstones. This collection also marks a deeper dive into using more traceable colored gemstones, with a focus on building relationships directly with the mining communities. We use Canadian and antique diamonds, as well as sapphires from Montana and Australia.
Each stone is carefully selected for its unique shape, color and origin. Each person will have the opportunity to select their unique stone. Each piece tells a story of its materials’ origins, making the connection between our style and the ethical sourcing journey clear. We believe that jewelry can be beautiful, luxurious and ethical all at once, and this collection is a testament to that philosophy.
Main image: Bario Neal Prismic collection. (Bario Neal)
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