Eco-friendly jewelry shopping is easy thanks to the momentum from the ethical diamonds campaign and other advocacy for sustainable jewelry. This is a shopping guide on 4 sources for eco-friendly rings and other ethical jewelry.
Brilliant Earth: This San Francisco company gets its ethical diamonds from Canadian mines that follow environmentally sustainable practices, and uses secondary source gold and platinum to reduce reliance on dirty mining practices. You can even create your own eco-friendly rings, and they offer a free lifetime diamond upgrade.
Their sustainable jewelry ranges from fine jewelry to gifts for under $250. If you watch HBO’s Entourage, you may have seen “E” propose to Sloan with a Brilliant Earth eco-friendly ring complete with their signature, sustainably harvested wood ring box. Other bestsellers include their 18K White Gold Sapphire Stud Earrings ($575) or their Silver Heart Pendant with a .03 carat diamond ($110).
Flo Rings by Linda Schailon: These eco-friendly rings are made from recycled drinking straws in candy colors bent into unique combinations of patterns and hues. Go to the website to choose your starting color and then pick from about 16 different designs. Or start with the multicolor option and pick from 8 designs. Prices range from about $12 to $20 for 6 to 8 pieces.
Eco-artware: Eco-artware is a web-based gallery that showcases women and men’s eco-friendly jewelry and other gifts made from recycled, reused and natural materials. Their featured artists welcome requests for custom designs, or browse their website for a wide range of affordable and sustainable jewelry. Get a recycled inner tube and flip flop bracelet in pop art colors for just $30, or try the Coke bottle glass bracelet with four large links for $360. They also make a wide variety of men’s cufflinks from vintage typewriter keys, old subway tokens and coins, unusable circuit boards and orphan SCRABBLE tiles with prices ranging from about $40 to $150.
Ruff amp; Cut: This sustainable jewelry company partners with designers including Todd Reed to offer ethical diamonds and other fine jewelry featuring recycled metals in organic shapes and distinctive silhouettes. For transparency, each piece of jewelry is accompanied by a certificate of specific origin. Their ethical jewelry includes both women and men’s styles, and their eco-friendly rings are offered in a range of prices. Try a men’s recycled 18K rose gold wedding band for $2,200 or the Todd Reed boulder bracelet accented with 3 rough diamonds for $13,020.