Sustainability
When we launched Lizzie Fortunato, we didn’t set out to just “make more stuff.” We were compelled by a love of craft, and a desire to create unique designs that tell a story using thoughtful materials. In the early days, Lizzie made nearly every piece herself, and as our business has grown, we have remained dedicated to small batch production - in part out of necessity due to the limited nature of our materials and in part a mandate to avoid overproduction. Still, we’re acutely aware of our environmental impact and are working hard to minimize our footprint while maximizing the joy we bring our customers. As we embark on our 16th year in business, we are proud to be dedicating time, energy, and resources to creating more circularity, sustainability, and intentionality in the Lizzie Fortunato ecosystem.
Intentional Production
We source deadstock, limited edition, natural, and recycled materials from around the globe for our pieces. Our collections are produced on a “made to order” basis and only in quantities we can sell. When a piece sells out, it’s typically gone for good.
Our production process takes 3-4 months for a seasonal assortment given the diverse sourcing of materials and local assembly of much of the collection. A style may feature pearls from Hong Kong, semiprecious stones cut by our lapidary in the Pacific Northwest, recycled beads from Africa, and glass pendants blown in upstate New York, all of which are purchased in the quantities appropriate to fulfill committed orders from our retail partners and e-commerce site. These materials are aggregated in our NYC studio, where our team of expert makers assemble them in house.
Vendors
In the early days of the brand, Lizzie sourced (and made) each piece by hand. She found vintage chains at antique markets, cord tassels at trim stores in midtown Manhattan, and vintage poker chips (which were famously picked up by Bergdorf Goodman) during a trip to Uruguay. As we’ve scaled, we have endeavored to identify manufacturing resources to fulfill our design whims; for example, when we introduced hand-beaded bags and earrings we developed a close relationship with a family-owned embroidery house in Delhi, India, and when the design team conceived of a resin cuff, we began working with a resin factory in China (who we’ve now collaborated with for over a decade). As we’ve grown, the spirit of hands-on sourcing and making has remained the same, and we are proud to have close relationships with our vendors. We deeply value these partners - from independent craftspeople (a female lapidary in Washington, a female glass artist in upstate New York, a handful of stone cutters and goldsmiths in New York’s diamond district, and more) to family-owned and craft-focused manufacturers around the globe including a Responsible Jewelry Council-certified factory in Thailand. We’ve traveled to many workshops, factories, and even living rooms abroad to work with (and get to know!) the humans behind our production.
Renewal & Longevity
We design with longevity in mind so you can enjoy your jewelry for years to come. We know the pieces you wear the most are subject to wear and tear, and we’re here to help. We offer repairs and renewal services (including re-stringing, re-plating, and stone replacements) to extend the life of your jewelry - often at low or no cost. We can also lengthen or shorten pieces to accommodate your needs.
Circularity & Resale
In an effort to give our products a circular lifecycle and further promote sustainability in our business, we offer Re-Jeweled, our own resale marketplace that lives on the Lizzie Fortunato e-commerce site. Our community can now extend the life of their pieces, selling pre-loved styles and purchasing coveted past designs from one another.
Shipping & Packaging
As of mid-2023, all Lizzie Fortunato E-commerce orders ship free of plastic bags and in recyclable packaging from our NYC studio (it all happens under one roof!) This streamlined process allows us to keep a close eye on quality control and limits our carbon footprint. Don’t need another cloth dust bag? Customers now have the option to opt out of receiving a branded bag with your order. We are in the process of calculating our carbon emissions - in collaboration with Swiss non-profit On a Mission to accurately measure and balance our impact by funding reforestation and forestry projects around the world. Standby for our progress!
Beyond the Jewels
The Lizzie Fortunato team is not only focused on reducing the environmental impact of our products but also reducing waste within our studio. We proudly dispose of all non-food waste in TerraCycle boxes in order to recycle everything. The company is on a mission to “Eliminate the Idea of Waste” by developing recycling solutions for waste streams that are not typically locally recyclable.