Ethical Gets Sexy With Catherine Best's Latest Creation

We all know what it’s like to have that one piece of jewellery that always provokes an admiring comment, or five…”Ooooh I love it” ‘So pretty” “Where did you find it?” The kinds of comments that are guaranteed to put a (slightly smug) smile on your face, whatever kind of day you’re having. We invest a lot of time and effort into hunting for the perfect piece of jewellery, and if there’s a story behind it? The bigger, the better. Or in this case, the better, the better!

Because I’ve spotted a solid silver necklace, handcrafted by acclaimed jewellery designer Catherine Best, and it’s been created in the name of a new type of girl power. Renowned for her exclusive, one-of-a-kind pieces, Catherine has been commissioned by royalty (HRH Princess Anne of all people) and celebrities alike (Joanna Lumley, Sadie Frost, Virginia McKenna) and her designs are internationally sought after. They have been known to fetch up to £170,000 but thankfully, this piece won’t quite require a remortgage on the house. In fact, at just £45 it’s a bit of a steal. A true designer bargain.

The necklace was designed by Catherine to celebrate the launch of a new ethical shopping site, Simply Women and Girls in a Sustainable World, or SWAGS World for short (well, it is a bit of a mouthful!). The ‘bra charm’ represents the W in their logo. SWAGS World is a new movement with a mission to empower women across the world. They work with women in such far-flung places as Bali and East Timor to make products for sale in their online shop, so when you buy from the site, you get that inner glow, knowing you’re helping communities of creative artisans build their own sustainable livelihoods.

You can even click on the site and learn about the individual artisans that make particular products, and trace your purchase right back to its origin, to the very woman who made it. SWAGS World promises total transparency of all the products it sells, from creation to sale, so you’re safe in the knowledge your sandals, necklace or gift for your mum isn’t the product of some backstreet sweat shop.

An ethical product that’s as glam as it gets, that’s my kind of buy!

Emily Cleary

After almost a decade chasing ambulances, and celebrities, for Fleet Street's finest, Emily has taken it down a gear and settled for a (slightly!) slower pace of life in the suburbs. With a love of cheese and fine wine, Emily is more likely to be found chasing her toddlers round Kew Gardens than sipping champagne at a showbiz launch nowadays, or grabbing an hour out of her hectic freelancer's life to chill out in a spa while hubby holds the babies. If only!

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