One of the most basic things that many brides struggle with is their wedding jewelry. If you are going for an eco-friendly tone for your wedding, it is best to start from the beginning. You might not have any control on the type of engagement ring he gives you, but you can have more control over the bands and other jewelry that both you as a couple will wear and your wedding party might don as gifts from you!
Consider conflict-free diamonds. Conflict-free diamonds are easy to research on the internet and sometimes not so easy to find in local jewelry shops. You can always start with a jewelry shop, but better to to do your research before you go to a jewelry shop to make sure they don’t greenwash you!
A favorite website of mine is Brilliant Earth. You can easily browse their website online and they are recognized by Green America. Here are a few samples from their website:
There are several conflict-free and fair trade sources on the internet when it comes to finding other fine jewelry. Of course, you could always use your great grandmother’s diamonds or your grandmother’s diamonds and remount them in a more modern setting! That is what I did!
Whatever you do, do your research about conflict-free diamonds and learn more about fair trade gemstones. Some good online sources for this are:
Another option is to not use diamonds at all for your engagement ring or just use bands. All of this is a personal choice, so take your time to find the best ring that will be on your finger for the next 50 -70 years!
A few other ideas:
Estate Sales
Pawn Shops
Online certified auctions of Estate Jewelry (be very careful and do your research here).
Happy Shopping!