Save your style while saving the environment

By Laura Denny. Contributing Writer for GREENandSAVE.com
Posted on Tuesday 2nd December 2008

There is nothing better to accessorize a wardrobe than some jewelry to add a little sparkle to an outfit. And what better to purchase for a loved one and show how much one cares than a diamond ring? However, some jewelry can be the cause of much destruction to our environment and others lives. That is why it is important to be advised about where the jewelry you are purchasing comes from.

Where can you purchase conflict free diamonds?
Brilliant Earth is one of the most well known environmentally friendly jewelers around. The jewelry from Brilliant Earth not only uses conflict-free diamonds, but also recycled metals.

The truth about diamonds
Conflict-free diamonds means that they do not come at the price of a human life, and also are not harmful to the environment. Many people have seen the movie "Blood Diamond" and understand that this is not something that just happened in the past; diamond wars still occur today. Families, villages and countries are torn apart and lives are destroyed and lost just to produce many of the diamonds in our jewelry. To learn more about blood diamonds you can visit Brilliantearth.com.

Tracking the diamonds
Another jeweler who is part of the conflict-free diamonds pact is Leber Jewelers Inc. Brilliant Earth and Leber Jewelers are able to guarantee that lives are not lost nor the environment harmed by tracking each of their diamonds to make sure they are mined properly and in a socially agreeable manner.

Precious metals
Due to the destruction that is caused to our environment from poor mining practices and the constant demand for precious metals Brilliant Earth and Leber Jewelers Inc. both use 100% recycled metals.


The truth about gold
Gold Mining can cause the poisoning of drinking water and destruction to the environment where the gold mining is performed due to pollutants and the physical creation of the mining site. After the mining is completed, cyanide contaminates as well as other toxins remain behind. In order to dispose of these leftovers, the mine will create a dam, which can be the cause of many mining accidents itself.

Recycle your plastics and your metals!
There is no need for so much destruction when metals can be beautifully recycled into magnificent pieces of jewelry, which is why it is important to purchase recycled metals when taking the environment into consideration.

Greenwashing?
Be careful, some companies may say they are tracking their diamonds and mines when they really are taking advantage of environmentally friendly people. This is called "greenwashing." The best way to prevent being taken advantage of is to do some research before purchasing your jewelry and make sure that it is conflict-free certified. Ask some questions of the jeweler about where the jewelry comes from and how they ensure that it is conflict free.

Eco-friendly jewelry in your area
~Moonrise Jewelry - Uses recycled materials and tracks all of their precious gems to make sure the area they are mined from is clean and has a minimal impact on the environment. This jewelry can be found at Black Cat Gift Shop (3428 Sansom St. Philadelphia).
~Bario-Neal Jewelry - Created from recycled materials and with precious stones that are tracked to ensure they are conflict-free. Also Bario-Neal donates 1% of its profits to The Association for Responsible Mining. This Jewelry can be found at Arcadia Boutique (819 North 2nd St Philadelphia).

If you want to find more ways that you can help save the environment and stop pollution in the water around your home and around the world you can visit the water section at Green and Save.

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