Eco Jewelry – Who Can You Trust
Eco Jewelry
How Do You Know Who to Trust?
If you’ve been hearing about Eco Jewelry and wondering if it just refers to crafty bits of recycled glass bottles and colorful plastic, think again. Eco-conscious jewelry is available across a wide range of styles, from fashion to fine. The defining characteristic is a use of materials that are repurposed, recycled or responsibly-sourced, including gold and diamonds.
“Conflict-free” and “eco-friendly” are terms that are tossed around with relative carelessness these days. Everyone knows that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but how well do you really know your BFF (“Best Friends Forever”)? The supply chain for gemstones and precious metals is a lot more complicated than most people realize. In order for your jewelry to be truly environmentally-responsible and ethically-sourced, it’s important to know precisely where the materials originated and how they were acquired. Most of the major jewelry chains make these claims without actually being able to stand behind them, supporting mining and trade conditions that are damaging to the environment and individual workers’ lives.
So, what’s a jewelry lover to do in the midst of this whole thorny business? If everyone from the high-end atelier to the mall jeweler downtown is advertising “conflict-free”, how do you know who to trust? One way to avoid the confusing mixed-messages is to go with independent designers who are willing to reveal their suppliers to you directly.
Midori Ferris Wayne
Guest Writer