Made Iffat Necklace Review

Typical price:

£18

We like:

That it's made by people in disadvantaged communities in East Africa

We don't like:

The cheap-looking metal the necklace is made from

SmartPlanet judgement:

Because we like made's way of working so much, we would love to be able to say that the necklace is the most gorgeous thing we've ever seen. But it isn't. The materials are not up to scratch, which makes us a bit unhappy about the overall look of the piece. However, it will brighten up any outfit.

Score:

Contact:

Nice Car Company at http://www.made.uk.com/
Telephone: +44 (0)20 8510 5699

This necklace is attractive, but more because of its fair trade credentials than its looks.

We like the design, but the materials make the whole thing look cheap. It makes us think of souvenirs from some exotic holiday, which seemed really cool when we were wandering around in a sarong, but back in wintry Britain looked out of place. The green colour is lovely, though. One of the SmartPlanet team members really likes it, and it does suit her. The design just isn't for everyone -- it definitely wouldn't be right for a strict fashionista. But then that might not be a bad thing.

While our philosophy is that being ethical or green is not enough of a reason to buy a product (it has to be cool, too!), we really do appreciate everything the 'made' company stands for. There aren't any official Fairtrade certifications for jewellery yet -- although the Fairtrade Foundation is working on it -- but made seems to be doing pretty well.

All of the company's jewellery is sourced and created in East Africa by people who wouldn't otherwise have been able to provide for themselves or learn a skill. The founders of made, Cristina Cisilina and Gerson Barnett, train local artisans to make the products, pay them fairly and give them business support. Sometimes they also provide tools, food, medical assistance and transport. A couple of made's projects also send  a percentage of the profit directly to developing the local communities. Also, most of the materials they use are local and/or recycled.

We are really in a principles-versus-style dilemma here. While we love the ethical and recycled aspect of made's stuff, it just doesn't quite look how we had hoped. That said, there are many of made's pieces we would be more than happy to spend our hand-earned money on, such as the Azufrile necklace.

Score breakdown:

 

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