Founder of sustainable fine jewelry brand, Savannah Friedkin, Savannah Friedkin has been making a name for herself in the accessories industry with her 100% recycled gold and lab-grown diamond designs.
Spolight sat down with Savannah to hear her story from working at the Friedkin Foundation to creating this jewelry brand, which has been worn by A-list celebrities!
Before starting your line of fine jewelry—Savannah Friedkin—you ran the Friedkin Foundation alongside your family. What made you want to pivot to the jewelry industry?
I have always been a creative at heart, and I wanted to find an outlet to express my love of art and design alongside my love for protecting our planet. Jewelry was a natural way to combine these two passions, through production and business practices that minimize the impact on our earth.
As a consumer, I desired more conversation around the traceability and transparency of fine jewelry, especially given my background as a conservationist. I felt this dialogue has been happening with apparel for several years now.
My intention with launching my own brand is to spark a similar dialogue about sourcing, production, and traceability in the jewelry space—a personal passion point of mine. Both diamond and gold mining are strenuous on our environment, and I am focused on production practices that lessen the negative impact overall.
How did your role at the Friedkin Foundation and your family’s conservation efforts inspire you to start Savannah Friedkin?
Giving back to the community and taking care of our planet are principles of my family I was exposed to the world of conservation and philanthropy well before I formally worked in philanthropy across The Friedkin Group businesses and personal giving.
I’ve seen first-hand how impactful a steadfast commitment to conservation is. I have also seen that creating awareness and inspiring others to follow suit is effective in causing lasting change.
Because of this, at Savannah Friedkin Fine Jewelry we established unwavering differentiators that make our brand effective at operating in a way that is not only cutting-edge but also kind to our planet and its people.
Savannah Friedkin uses 100% recycled gold and lab-grown climate-neutral diamonds to bring your designs to life. How does your commitment to sustainability set your designs apart in the fine jewelry industry?
We can guarantee 100% traceability, which I think is a massive differentiator. Lab-grown diamonds are inherently traceable. We can trace our lab-grown diamond origin directly to the seed that starts the diamond-growing process.
After 22 days of incubating, a lab-grown diamond is ready to be cut and polished. It’s pretty incredible. I have seen it firsthand, and it’s a responsible way to produce and consume diamonds. It is extremely difficult to guarantee that a mined diamond came from an ethical or sanitary mine. Is it a mine that provides protective equipment for their employees and treats them with fair wages and respect? Are the harsh chemicals and debris entering the environment in which the mine operates? Are they doing everything they can to mitigate their overall negative environmental impact?
These have been historically hard to measure metrics.
What was the process of sourcing the materials for your line like?
Having a supply chain that consists of certified recycled metals and climate-neutral lab-grown diamonds is very difficult. It’s a narrow supply chain. Similarly, finding partners in manufacturing who are committed to sustainability, who not only treat their employees fairly but also promote growth and health within their organization, is also incredibly important to me.
Because of this, my team and I have personally traveled to each of our suppliers and manufacturers to ensure that they stand by their various certifications in sustainable and ethical practices. Going to each manufacturer and supplier, meeting the individuals who handcraft our jewelry, and seeing first-hand how they do business is something I am very proud to have done. It’s incredibly important to me as a founder.
Tell us about the look of your jewelry. What drives your design aesthetic?
Our designs celebrate the stories of women who have faced adversity and challenges, been broken and bent, yet emerged even more magnificent. The resilience of women, and our power as both individuals and as a group, inspires our team to create collections that honor their unique journeys. We create fine jewelry pieces that celebrate our flaws, appreciate our low points, reveille in our triumphs, and encompass so many aspects of our lives that make us wholly one of a kind.
My Broken collection is inspired by the resilience inherent in humans and how the broken within all of us can be beautiful- and should be celebrated. The broken cracks motif throughout the collection is an homage to this ‘brokenness’, with a hope to change the perception of “flaws,” and instead appreciate them as the beautiful characteristics that define who we are as individuals. Flaws, as we call them, are what make us each unique and shape our journey.
The Emergence Collection is inspired by this idea of emerging from the challenges and difficulties stronger than ever before and growing from adversity.
Your designs have been worn by the likes of Suki Waterhouse and Ashley Benson. What does having these powerhouse women wear Savannah Friedkin mean to you?
I think it’s incredibly exciting when anyone loves to wear our jewelry! There’s truly no better feeling to know that someone has seen your creations and felt a connection to them, and that they feel good wearing them!
Both women truly are powerhouses, and represent the multifaceted journey of being a woman. They are artists, mothers, creators, and businesswomen—being just one of these is beyond impressive and inspiring! I’m honored that they love to wear any piece we create.
What is next for Savannah Friedkin fine jewelry?
My goal is to create a dialogue around the way we produce, think about, and wear jewelry, which ultimately is a reflection on how we think about ourselves. I also hope to increase our impact. We are primarily direct to consumer at savannahfriedkin.com, and we also will continue to pop-up around the country to meet our customers in person and get to know them better.
I will also be introducing some new fine jewelry pieces just in time for holiday shopping- so please watch this space!
