Socially Conscious Commitment Rings

Regardless of whether you dream of wearing your beloved’s ring,
have been wearing it long enough to have its shape permanently
imprinted on your skin, or scoff at the whole marriage thing,
there’s no denying that commitment rings are an important cultural
symbol. But for green-minded couples, a shop window full of
diamonds and gold can call to mind exploited laborers and decimated
landscapes.

The No Dirty
Gold campaign reports on indigenous communities harmed and
displaced by gold mining, and stresses that a single gold ring
represents a shocking 20 tons of waste. Not to mention the rock on
that band: The
San Antonio Current notes that even celebrities like
hip-hop artist Kanye West and actor Leonardo DiCaprio are among
those taking a stand against ‘blood diamonds’ mined by African
rebel groups to finance civil wars. Suddenly there’s something very
unromantic about that little velvet box.

Fortunately, socially conscious couples have options. The folks
at greenKarat are doing
their part to end diamond and gold mining while providing recycled
gold rings for the earth-minded. Enough gold sits aboveground to
supply the jewelry industry for the next 50 years, and greenKarat
hopes that by creating a market for recycled gold, they can reclaim
some of that idle metal. Also check out
Sumiche Jewelry Co., where
Mich? and Susan Onaclea craft rings from certified fair-trade gold
and platinum and use only conflict-free diamonds.

As
ConsciousChoice reports, when husband and wife Brian
Leber and Joanne Aono took over the family jewelry business from
Leber’s father, they decided to run it their way, with
sustainability and fair labor in mind. Now,
Leber Jeweler Inc.
offers ‘earthwise’ jewelry made with reclaimed metals and Canadian
diamonds.

You wouldn’t commit to a partner who mocked your dedication to
ecologically and socially responsible living, so why choose a ring
that does just that?

Go there >>
No Dirty
Gold

Go there too >>

What’s the Conflict?

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