The subject of this post is something that we have been meaning to write about for a long time. Then, a few weeks ago we came across a blog where a blogger has posed the question “who wants to pay $100 for a DNE ring, I got mine on ebay”. Referring to a Forever21 ring.

So while we were always going to write this post, we have now been spurred on, realising that it was something important for us to discuss and respond to earlier rather than later.

Before we get into the main issue, we want to explain that Does Not Equal started in 2007 as a humble beginning, where each piece was handcrafted to order. From there, things have changed slightly - but our core beliefs and ethics of how and what we produce remains the same. We are an Australian label, who produces all our our items in Australia. We use quality materials, and we hand finish each and every item ourselves before it is sent out. 

Early this year, Forever21 released a double finger cross ring (unfortunately for us) shortly after all of our samples had gone into production. Which is the ring that the blogger put against ours. These Forever21 rings retailed at around $5. They then hit Ebay where people were paying ridiculous amounts for them as it had quickly sold out in stores. As far as we can see from the vague information listed on their website, Forever21 items are made overseas and imported. In order to charge a RRP of $5 or less, they would most likely have been produced in China at a per unit cost of a few cents. Their website states their rings as “silver colour high polished material”. This means ultimately nothing in terms of what they are made from, and as a consumer you are purchasing a blind product. When items are produced in offshore countries like India, China, Indonesia etc they are in almost all cases doing so due to the cost efficiency. Producing there will give a brand greater profits as the labour and materials cost next to nothing.

These foreign countries are also not governed by the same ethics, guidelines, laws or governing bodies who restrict certain practices and materials from being used. Often, Australia and other western countries have been at the receiving end of goods that have later been found to contain lead. This is even more dangerous when talking about jewellery as it’s worn against your skin for hours at a time which has been shown to cause health problems in the past.

If we all look at our habits as consumers, we are driven by different things in deciding what product we purchase. Generally, before spending we will assess whether the price is justified. This is usually determined by ones belief that what we are paying can be backed up by one or more of the following: the products quality, the brand, ‘trend’, or the material. Not often enough do consumers also add ‘where the product’s made’ into the equation.

As mentioned earlier, we produce all of our products in Australia. We pay staff at Australian rates, who work within ethical and safety enforced environments to Australian standards. We also use stainless steel as our material of choice. All of our chains are 100% stainless steel, and majority of our pendants unless stated otherwise are solid stainless steel. The reason why we use stainless steel is this : while it is not a precious metal, it is a very high quality, long wearing, durable, tough, and hypo-allergenic metal. Stainless steel rarely tarnishes, or rusts. And as it is solid, it will also not discolour or wear away.

When starting Does Not Equal, we pledged a number of things to ourselves on what we would stand for, and what we would put out into the market. We remain true to all of them, and that is to create ethically produced pieces, within Australia, and sell them at a middle-ground price. To maintain exclusivity, we also only produce in small number runs. While this is a greater cost to us, it ensures that our items are consistently priced and you won’t find the necklace that you bought at full price to be marked down to 40 - 75% off the RRP at the end of the season. We do this is out of respect for our customers. If you purchase a piece of DNE (or any label) at full price, you don’t deserve to then see it flooding the market due to a 75% off warehouse sale a few months later.

We have a strong customer following which shows us that there are enough of you out there who appreciate what we stand for, and the products that we create. And it is your passion and support in what we do that keeps us going and encourages us to maintain our way of thinking. If other consumers feel that the bottom dollar amount that they pay for an item is the only thing that matters, then there’s nothing we can do. But for the people who purchase Does Not Equal, we hope you feel the same level of pride when you wear our pieces that we felt in creating it.  

Finally to all of the customers who own a piece of DNE, thank you. We hope you continue to support us, and join us on our journey. 

DNE ≠