From day one, Astor & Orion has embraced the philosophy of Circular Design—the idea that many environmental challenges can be solved long before production begins. For us, waste isn’t a byproduct; it’s a design flaw. Our design process looks beyond what makes a piece beautiful today. Every detail is considered with the entire life cycle in mind: how it’s made, how it’s worn, and what happens when it reaches the end of its useful life. If the landfill is the only outcome, the design has missed its purpose. This is why metals sit at the core of our work. We design in ways that keep these materials recoverable and ready to return to the resource loop. By limiting combinations with elements that complicate recycling, we make it easier for our jewelry to be reclaimed rather than discarded. Far from being a limitation, this focus drives us to explore form in new ways—creating sculptural designs that stand on their own without needing excess. It’s a design philosophy built on responsibility, and it leads directly into the principles that guide how we work.
This philosophy shapes every stage of creation, guiding the way we approach:
Responsible design begins with thoughtful sourcing. We select materials that can be traced through ethical supply chains and contribute to a circular system, including recycled metals, compostable bioplastics, and FSC-certified paper. By choosing cleaner inputs across our jewelry and packaging, we help keep resources in circulation and out of landfills, honoring the ecosystems we rely on and supporting renewal over excess.
Our jewelry is made with minimal material mixing and simplified construction, allowing for easier disassembly and recycling. Clean, modular designs reduce barriers to material recovery, ensuring more of what we create can reenter the resource loop.
We craft each piece to endure—in both quality and emotional connection—so it can be worn often and remain a meaningful part of everyday life for decades to come. In a culture of overproduction and short-lived trends, longevity is a quiet form of resistance, slowing the cycle of consumption through timeless forms and durable construction.
