Our Values
Emily Chelsea Jewelry began as a vision, grounded in values that put both people and our planet front and center. Our mission reflects the values we share with the people we design unique jewelry for: extending beyond crafting beautiful pieces to uplifting mining communities, amplifying the voices of the underrepresented and oppressed, and ensuring a fair, ethical path from raw material to finished product.
In 2011, we posed a daring question: “How can we change the world while crafting exquisite jewelry?” Fueled by passion but weighted down by the notion of adding to the world’s clutter without deeper purpose, Emily had a profound realization: To pursue this path, we needed a brand that didn’t just shine but radiated goodness.
From that spark, Emily Chelsea Jewelry was born, built on our shared values that place people and our planet at the forefront. Our mission transcends the realm of crafting beautiful pieces; it’s about elevating mining communities, amplifying the voices of the marginalized, and meticulously ensuring a fair, ethical journey from raw materials to the final masterpiece.
As our brand grew, so did our vision. We noticed an echoing silence in the jewelry industry—a need to champion marriage equality and promote LGBTQ+ inclusivity. This became a core pillar of our brand ethos as we support everyone in their right to marry and the right to a welcoming and joyful ring buying experience.
We’re here to support everyone in their right to love, to marry, and have a welcoming and joyful jewelry-buying experience. At Emily Chelsea Jewelry, we believe in the power of acceptance and celebrate love in all its brilliant forms.
We’ve Distilled Our Commitment Into Four Cornerstone Values:
Quality Craft and Expert Design
Each piece of Emily Chelsea Jewelry is a miniature piece of wearable artwork thoughtfully designed and meticulously produced to meet our quality standards. We believe in a 360° design approach – your jewelry should be beautiful from every angle, and it is often the hidden details that make a piece special to the owner.
Ethical Sourcing and Supply
Where the materials come from is as important as the finished piece. Fair wages, optimal working conditions, minimal environmental impact, and profits that benefit local communities are practices we embrace. Click here to read more about our Sourcing Standards.
Inclusivity and Marriage Equality
Jewelry is for everyone: traditions do not limit our imaginations in our approach, environment, processes, and design. Emily Chelsea Jewelry is an ally of the LGBTQ+ community and welcomes all couples. We believe that marriage is for everyone and we support and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. You will not find gender specific categories on our website or in the shop as our jewelry is made to be as expressive as you are. While shopping with us, you will experience acceptance and a welcoming atmosphere as you embark on an exciting new journey in your relationship, one that truly deserves celebration. Click here to read more about our stance on Marriage Equality and Inclusivity.
Community
As a jewelry design house deeply rooted in Philadelphia, our commitment extends beyond the borders of our beloved city. We have a responsibility to the communities in which we operate. From the dedicated craftspeople in our Jewelry District to the mining communities that provide our precious materials, we recognize the interconnectedness of our global industry. Just as the beverages we serve our clients reflect our dedication to our local, small businesses, our charity support reflects our core values and belief in giving back. Whether it’s within the jewelry industry or the broader communities we engage with, our aim is to source, purchase, and donate responsibly, ensuring that our impact is both meaningful and positive.
Trade Memberships and Associations
We list our trade associations to demonstrate our credibility, transparency and commitment to excellence in our industry. We wear our trade associations like badges of honor. In today’s environment, proving our authenticity isn’t just a goal; it’s a necessity. We choose to align with organizations that uphold stringent industry standards and foster innovation, ensuring that we are at the forefront of our field. By being transparent about our trade memberships and associations, we aim to not only build trust but also invite you to verify our credentials and see firsthand the standards we strive to maintain.
Ethical Metalsmiths is an organization committed to informing jewelers and consumers on responsible mining, sustainable economic development and verified, ethical sources of materials used in making jewelry.
Emily serves as a mentor for EM’s Emerging Jeweler Program.
The Black in Jewelry Coailtion is the first international non-profit membership association dedicated to the inclusion and advancement of Black professionals within the gem, jewelry, and watch industry.
Emily serves as a Subject Matter Expert for BIJC’s Emerging Jewelers Accelerator Program.
Emily Chelsea Jewlery is proud to be one of the first Fairmined Gold License Holders in the United States. Fairmined Gold is backed by a 3rd party certification system that sources gold from responsible artisanal and small scale mining companies. Fairmined Gold ensures “social development and environmental protection, providing everyone with a source of gold to be proud of.”
Jewelers of America was founded by jewelers for jewelers, with a desire to advance the professionalism and ethics of the jewelry industry. Today, as the leading non-profit jewelry association in the United States, Jewelers of America Members stand as the most trustworthy, informed and professional jewelry businesses in the United States and beyond.
Emily was recognized on the Jewelers of America 20 Under 40 list in 2023.
ECJ has adopted the definitions as documented by the Jewelry Glossary Project, a project committed to creating shared definitions for key terms used in the jewelry industry.
Emily served on the committe and led the Jewelry Glossary Project from 2017-2020.
The CRJC is where the international jewelry community of thinkers and doers come together to create meaningful and lasting change.
Several significant ideas and groups have been born out of the CRJC including Moyo Gems and the Marange Women’s Alliance, to name a few.
WJA aims to help women in the jewelry and watch industries advance and develop professionally through networking, education, leadership development, and the provision of member services. They have chapters throughout the country and have been an excellent resource to connect with fellow female business owners.
Equally Wed is an LGBTQ+ weddings resource for LGBTQ+ couples and LGBTQ+ inclusive wedding professionals.
All Emily Chelsea Jewelry employees are certified LGBTQ+ Inclusive through the course offered at Equally Wed.
ECJ is a proud member of Equally Wed and the winner of the Equally Wed 2020 and 2021 awards.
Charitable Donations
At Emily Chelsea Jewelry, we believe that giving back is part of our core purpose. With our commitment to transparency and trust, we openly share the major organizations we support. By listing these organizations, we aim not only to highlight our dedication to various causes but also to engage and inspire our partners and customers to join us in making a significant impact. We choose charities that align with our core values and focus on creating sustainable, positive changes in the community.
Mercury Free Mining’s mission is to eradicate the use of mercury in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM), ensuring the public trust in the jewelry industry gold supply chain.
MFM fulfills its mission by
educating the jewelry trade about the devastating health and environmental impacts of mercury and is working to develop a method of mining that eliminates the need for mercury in gold mining.
The Marange Women’s Alliance is a grassroots movement to prevent human rights abuses by providing education, self-empowering support and by raising awareness in the international community. Their vision is that all women and children of Marange are able to live safely and move freely in the region without fear, intimidation, and political pressure. They believe that all of Marange’s citizens should have access to water, medical services, and constitutional human rights.
The Attic Youth Center’s mission is to create opportunities for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning (LGBTQ) youth to develop into healthy, independent, civic-minded adults within a safe and supportive community and to promote the acceptance of LGBTQ youth in society. The Attic Youth Center is a local Philadelphia organization.
The Human Rights Campaign and Human Rights Campaign Foundation fight to make equality, equity and liberation a reality for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people. As the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, HRC drive impact by inspiring, engaging and mobilizing millions of pro-equality voters and supporters to elect pro-equality leaders and to demand equity-based policies and legislation.
Human Rights Foundation aims to raise awareness about the nature and vulnerability of freedom around the world. Individuals who suffer under authoritarianism are more likely to: lack food and clean drinking water; lack access to basic education; live in extreme poverty; face war and civil strife; become a refugee; lack freedom of speech and voting rights; and face constant threats of imprisonment, torture, violence, and death.In addition to strengthening the work of grassroots activists in closed societies, HRF provide education about what constitutes a free society, why freedom matters, and how freedom is nurtured, developed, and sustained.
Pure Earth works with partners around the world to sustainably address the root causes of lead pollution and mercury pollution. Mercury pollution is extremely prevalent in gold mining and has a detrimental impact on the lives of those in nearby communities. Pure Earth works to solve lead and mercury pollution around the globe.
Unicef works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, to defend their rights, and to help them fulfil their potential, from early childhood through adolescence. Every child has the right to grow up in a safe and inclusive environment. Unicef works with partners around the world to promote policies and expand access to services that protect all children.
No Kid Hungry is a national campaign run by Share Our Strength, a nonprofit working to solve problems of hunger and poverty in the United States and around the world.
Anera works on the ground with partners in Palestine (West Bank and Gaza), Lebanon and Jordan. They mobilize resources for immediate emergency relief and for sustainable, long-term health, education, and economic development.