Circle of Friends: Kelsey Lim of Abel Objects
a new series + you're invited to an irl event!
I'm thrilled to introduce Circle of Friends, a new series I've been working on. This format will feature conversations with individuals passionate about keeping items in circulation. In a circular economy, products and materials remain in use through processes like reuse, refurbishment, remanufacture, recycling, and composting (Ellen McArthur Foundation). Personally, I strive to partake to this cycle by purchasing pre-loved items whenever possible, borrowing, sharing, and repairing. Through my work in sustainability consulting, I've had the privilege of meeting and connecting with people who contribute to the circular economy in various ways. I'm excited to share their stories and insights with all of you!
For the inaugural issue, I am excited to introduce Kelsey Lim, the founder and designer of Abel Objects, a fine jewelry brand based in New York City. Kelsey and I met as we are hosting an event and market together this week at the Hyer Goods shop featuring her consciously handcrafted fine jewelry alongside vintage catch-alls I’ve curated + wine by Una Lou Wine. Please join us! RSVP here :)
Prior to Abel, Kelsey had a career in graphic design and art direction — working for clients such as The New York Times, Flamingo, Man Repeller, Condé Nast, and Haus — all the while making jewelry on the side. After helping build so many brands over the years, in 2023 she decided to take the leap and go all in on her own company. You can hear her full career story on her Creative Juicy episode.
What is the origin story of Abel Objects? Can you share your journey to design fine jewelry with your values in mind?
Making jewelry has been a part of my life in one form or another starting fourteen years ago, when I took my first metalsmithing class. For thirteen of those years, it was a practice I did on the side — a way to escape the computer and make something with my hands.
It wasn’t until I hit almost a decade of working professionally as a graphic designer that I realized Abel was what I wanted to devote myself to full-time. I had established a career helping other founders and companies build their brands, and realized I had all the tools to not only build my own brand, but also build a business true to my values.
As a graphic designer at someone else’s company, you have a hand in shaping the brand’s narrative, but not so much the product itself and how it’s made. With Abel, I have the privilege and responsibility of controlling all aspects of the business — from what materials we use, where we source them, how products are made — decisions that demonstrate values versus just display them.
You make a conscious and thoughtful effort to use reclaimed materials. How do you keep resources in circulation and why is it important?
As someone who cares about environmental responsibility, I’ve always struggled with the fact that my calling in life — designing and making things — is directly at odds with that. It’s honestly something I’m still figuring out how to navigate each day.
One of the reasons I am so passionate about fine jewelry is because as far as physical goods go, it is one of the more sustainable products that can be made. Of course, there will always be an impact when you’re making something new, but I love knowing the pieces I create are designed and crafted to last forever. A ring I make today can be passed down through generations, or melted down and remade into something else — it will never be thrown out or end up in a landfill.
It’s why I choose to make all my jewelry with solid metal vs. plated or filled. All of the materials I use in my pieces can be endlessly recycled without losing their value — that is a pretty remarkable quality.
All of the diamonds I use in my jewelry are reclaimed, which means they have been recovered from across the jewelry industry — mostly from antique jewelry, pawn shops, and estate sales. I do use a mix of newly-mined and recycled non-diamond gemstones. When I do use newly-mined stones, however, I make sure they are sourced and cut responsibly.
I knew about greenwashing in the fashion industry but was unaware of it in the fine jewelry industry prior to our conversation about recycled gold. What should customers look out for to avoid falling for false claims when shopping for jewelry?
Greenwashing in the jewelry industry is as rampant as it is in any other industry, and can be done unintentionally as well as intentionally.
A few of the most commonly encountered examples of greenwashing are jewelry brands touting Kimberley-certified diamonds, lab-grown stones, or recycled gold as a stamp of environmental responsibility. I emphasize the last part because there is nothing markedly wrong with using any of those materials — the greenwashing comes in when they are used in marketing as a signal of environmental stewardship.
To play one of these examples out: boasting about using recycled gold is a bit silly because everyone recycles gold — it’s a precious metal that no one is throwing out. Recycling gold is table stakes. What’s important to distinguish is if companies are integrating newly-mined gold into their supply chain and if they are, where that gold is coming from. Recycling gold is also not necessarily the ultimate solution — gold will always continue to be mined regardless of how many jewelers use recycled gold, and an argument could be made that it actually hurts small-scale mining operations that many communities depend on. As with most things in life, it’s not a black-and-white issue.
If you’re interested in learning why I’m not fully sold on Kimberley Process and lab-grown diamonds, I wrote about it for the Abel Journal here.
As you can see, these issues are extremely complicated and nuanced — it’s also ever-evolving. I am always trying to keep up with the latest research and am open to my perspective adapting over time. There’s no such thing as being 100% eco-friendly when you’re making a physical product, but I strive to do my best based on what I know. My philosophy is to be as transparent as possible with consumers in these efforts, so they can then make their own informed decisions.
If something sounds overly simplified — it probably is. I would say, if you’re looking to purchase a piece of jewelry and are concerned with how it’s made, you should be able to easily find out more about it — whether it’s via the website or by talking to someone at the company. If there is a lack of transparency or willingness to have a conversation, I would consider that a red flag.
Where do you find inspiration for your collections?
I know this is corny to say, but inspiration for a piece can truly come from anywhere. Sometimes it develops unexpectedly while trying to make another piece, one time I got inspired by an oddly-shaped tomato I found. It rarely comes from the same sources, but instead comes from being open and receptive to the things around me.
The inspiration that ties my collection together (and acts as the curatorial lens through which I develop it) is timelessness. That’s always what it comes down to in the end — is this a piece I could see worn today, in one year, in fifty years? Is it a piece a future grandchild would one day be excited to inherit? Is it classic and durable enough to be worn every day? This is the fundamental vision that drives my collection.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you recommend?
Creative Juicy by Michelle Wainwright has become one of my favorite podcasts to listen to lately — and I promise I’m not just recommending it because I was on it!
Michelle is an incredibly thoughtful interviewer and person, which really comes through in her conversations with her guests. There are so many great nuggets of insight and inspiration to be gleaned from each episode, even when she’s interviewing someone from a totally different industry.
Join us on Thursday for our opening night party of our May Market, RSVP!
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