Gorgeous sunglasses by Gold & Wood, Paris. Their model Star is entirely created in wood; ebony Macasar wood for a very dark veined black emphasis, iroko wood for a more shimmering effect. Stunned by the luxurious finish of the wood, we dug deeper to find out how sustainable the product really is.They use precious and exotic woods, taken from authorised and supervised plantations from different African countries, Brazil and Canada. Other models are made from genuine buffalo horn, a by-product from cattle farming. The animal is not hurt in the operation, and the horns can regrow. Surprisingly, Gold & Wood glasses are being hand-made in Luxembourg. With almost 20 production steps, the manufacturing process is quite labour intensive, which might explain their prices. The frames result from a multi-layered wood lamination process, combining 8 sheets of wood and 7 sheets of natural hypoallergenic resin. The finished product has a very pleasant satin feel to it and is almost 100% biodegradable.
It is intriguing to note that Gold & Wood don’t mention sustainability in their marketing. Their phrase goes more like this: ‘In a very subtle and very real colored style, or in a more timeless purer style, the frames of the Gold & Wood optical collection will seduce distinguished men and women of the world, and all those who know about refined and noble materials and appreciate comfort’. In their list of people who wear them – Steven Spielberg, Jennifer Lopez and the Sultan of Brunei.
