Trollbeads
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources
Family-owned Danish brand of beads for bracelets.
Trollbeads can't show that the workers who make its products in India and Malawi earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Also worth knowing
It has no full independent audit.
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No fashion jewellery brand we've graded is better than Lacks transparency yet.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 3 red flags, 2 of which set the grade: no evidence of a living wage and a hidden, unaudited supply chain in high-risk countries. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 1 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsMost of its products are made in India, China and Thailand, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Not met: Conflict-free: diamonds, gems and gold traced to the mine, lab-grown, recycled or Fairmined (the Kimberley Process alone isn't enough)
Red flags 3
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain, mostly in countries with poor worker rights
- Red flag: Relies on high-risk mined materials it can't traceShown to explain the grade. It isn't one of the 2 red flags that set it.
- Red flag: Fails its category's raw-material check (means Lacks transparency)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Trollbeads names some of the countries it makes in: India and Malawi. The rest is shown as where jewellery and watches are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Malawi | Strong protections | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| ThailandUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| ItalyUsual for the industry | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| SwitzerlandUsual for the industry | Regular violations | About a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: gold and gemstone mining are linked to child labour, forced labour and mercury poisoning.
- Relies on gold and gemstones from artisanal mines where workers face mercury poisoning, silica dust and deadly collapses. It hasn't shown any steps to trace these materials to the mine, so it's graded Lacks transparency until it does.
Research notes Trollbeads gives no location for the in-house facility that makes its main silver, gold and glass bead ranges. Its one-of-a-kind Uniques glass beads come from Trollbeads workshops in India (Dharamsala from 2005, Jaipur, Dehradun) and Malawi. It was certified by the Responsible Jewellery Council in 2012, but no current certification was found, and it publishes no supplier list, audit results, modern slavery statement or wage commitment.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Unclear | No labour abuse allegations involving Trollbeads or its suppliers were identified. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- RJC Certifies Trollbeads A/S (2012) · search the archive · Trollbeads A/S certified against the RJC Code of Practices in November 2012 after an SGS audit.
- Trollbeads headed for regional Australia (Jeweller, 2023) · search the archive · Brand opened a Melbourne store in October 2022 and planned more stockists; no current Australian stores found on its store locator.
- Trollbeads Australia - passion and responsibility (Jewellery World) · search the archive · Uniques beads made in Trollbeads workshops in India and Malawi; India workshop began in Dharamsala in 2005 for Tibetan refugees.
Published by Trollbeads or its owner
- Backgrounder Trollbeads 2020 · search the archive · Danish family-owned brand founded 1976 in Copenhagen; uses Murano glass; sold in more than 30 countries; no production countries named.
- Trollbeads - Responsibility · search the archive · Uniques beads made at Trollbeads workshops in Dharamsala (2005), Jaipur, Dehradun (India) and Malawi; human rights pledge, no supplier details.
- Trollbeads Australia - Contact & FAQs · search the archive · Australian online store ships orders to Australian addresses in 6-10 business days.
Company details
- Headquarters
- Denmark
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Trollbeads ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/trollbeads, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
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