Shades of Green: Picking Proper Products
Jeffrey Herman
Herman Silver Restoration, Rhode Island
Would you ever consider rinsing your mouth with whatever chemicals are currently in your degreaser? Technically speaking, Jeffrey Herman, owner of Herman Silver Restoration in Rhode Island, could. As a matter of fact, when the CEO of Better Life, the company whose products Herman likes to use, appeared on the television show Shark Tank, he sprayed some of his surface cleaner directly into his mouth.
For about 20 years, Herman used diluted Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Pure-Castile Soap in his crockpot. “You can gargle with the peppermint soap, but the pH is a bit high,” he says. “I have recently switched to using [Better Life] dishwashing soap that is just as effective, and it’s almost 100 percent plant-based. I use it diluted and hot in my crockpot. It’s got a very neutral pH and it smells good.” As well it should, being made primarily from corn and coconut oil, with a touch of aloe. He also uses the company’s glass cleaner, which has the same base oils, to get rid of the grime that accumulates under faceted stones and to highlight ornamentation on jewelry and silverware. “I was using Method products, which aren’t as earth-friendly. I haven’t tried every ‘natural’ product on the market, but when I discovered Better Life and the company’s philosophy of using healthier products, I was a convert!”
Herman has always been interested in avoiding harsh chemicals and compounds in his operation. It stems from his early days as a designer at Gorham Manufacturing Co. “I worked there for just over two years,” he says. “They were using some pretty nasty chemicals like trichloroethylene [a known carcinogen]. Another place I worked was bombing silver.” Bombing traditionally uses a solution of sodium cyanide mixed with hydrogen peroxide. Herman felt there had to be a better and safer way.
“A lot of industries stick within their own world to find products they can use that are better or more efficient,” he says. “But I’m one of those ‘there’s got to be a better product’ types who goes into different industries. If there’s something better, I’m going to use it.” Thus, plant-based household products in lieu of chemical products designed for silverware and jewelry use. Herman did his homework before bringing these products into his shop because he didn’t want to trade his green sensibilities for less efficacy in the shop. “That’s one of the prerequisites of using them,” he says. “The human- and earth-friendly products I’m using are every bit as effective as those I’ve given up.”
His efforts, his awareness, and his continuing mission can be summed up simply: “I see myself as a steward of the planet,” he says.
Read about more green initiatives in the jewelry industry:
MJSA thanks the sponsor of this month’s special focus on responsible sourcing and green initiatives:
