While businesses are constantly looking for ways to be more sustainable and efficient, Evanston jeweler, Christopher Duquet simply continues the longstanding tradition of reuse in the jewelry making industry.
“Jewelers were the first ever trade and manufacturers to recycle everything they use,“ Duquet says. “They’ve always recycled because of the rarity.” His shop is no exception. For the twenty years that Christopher Duquet Fine Jewelry Design has been open, they have always made the concept of recycle and reuse a priority. “When our designs are no longer relevant and as good as possible, we don’t buy new material, we reuse them…we try to squeeze efficiency out of everything we do,” says Duquet.
As a shop that specializes in custom design, Duquet wants his customers to know that they can reuse outdated jewelry and turn it into something new and beautiful. Because gold and gemstones are constantly being recycled and reused, vintage jewelry can be transformed into something new. The process of remelting gold, recutting stones and redesigning a piece to look inspired and unique is what jewelers have been doing for centuries. With new and improved processes including Computer Aided Design, Duquet and his employees have become the ultimate recycling masters, bringing the tradition of reuse into the modern green era.
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The shop uses gold that has been recycled through the Harmony Program at Hoover and Strong, guaranteeing that the item is made of 100% recycled product. The process of recycling this gold is also incredibly green, using every piece of gold that comes in through their doors. Hoover and Strong pride themselves on conducting regular floor sweeps and re-melting all clean product.
In an effort to not only be green but also good citizens, Christopher Duquet’s gems and diamonds are all certified to be conflict free. Using the United Nations monitoring system, the Kimberly Process, all diamonds and gemstones can be used without any doubts about a potential negative impact.
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Christopher Duquet Fine Jewelry Design is located at 1224 Chicago Avenue in Evanston and can be reached at 847.733.0656.