Looking for an ethical manufacturer for a new jewelry brand

[LightandJoy]

Hi All Gem and Jewelry lovers.

Thank you for being here on this forum! We are starting a new jewelry brand, based on ethical material sourcing and production.

I am at the beginning of the manufacturer sourcing journey right now, I have been researching online for a few weeks, but I feel a bit lost - there is so much information out there, and I would love to hear from some experts with experience in the industry - where do jewelry brands manufacture their jewelry, or could you point me in the right direction/ or offer some tips?

Here is a bit more info about us and what we are ideally looking for:

* Fine jewelry as well as some fashion jewelry pieces
* Gold, silver, gemstones, pearls and diamonds as materials
* Prefer to use recycled gold and silver
* Responsibly sourced gems, pearls and diamonds
* A manufacturer whose practices respect human rights and is environmentally friendly on at least some level
* A manufacturer that can produce around 50 pieces of each design to start with, then increasing over the years
* We will be making our own designs, as well as being open to purchasing ready-made designs that can be customized with our logo in the metal. An exclusivity license on these ready-made designs would be a bonus.
* Serving an international market online. Currently based physically in Australia and Germany, and plan to have a physical space in USA as well in next 5 years.
* We are open to working with more than one manufacturer with different specialization areas.

I have searched:

* Alibaba (Didn't really find exactly what I was looking for in a supplier yet)
* Responsible Jewelry Council directory of manufacturers (some good options here - but would love the confidence of a recommendation)
* Some other google searches. (Some good looking options - would love a recommendation to guide me better)

So that is where I am up to. I would so appreciate any insights into my method of searching, or if anyone has a golden tip on who exactly to use, or where to look, I would be so grateful!

Thank you for your time and have a lovely day.

Love,
LightandJoy