One of the wonderful things about living in the information age is that we get an opportunity to make informed decisions. It used to be, and informed decision took a great deal of research and effort, and even then a person didn’t really have enough available information to make decisions. Thirty years ago, the average person didn’t know what conflict diamonds were. Though there were vague ideas about protecting the environment, there wasn’t much clarity about it.
We don’t live thirty years ago, though. We live in today’s world. Ten minutes on the internet will tell you what chocolate is free from child labor. A few minutes on the internet will tell you which food companies make the effort when it comes to avoiding exploitation of agricultural workers anywhere along the line. We have access to the world’s knowledge on our phones, and that means there is no longer a large research burden in discovering the right thing,
Some people might say there’s no longer an excuse.
In the world of jewelry, there are ethical choices available. If that’s important to you, here are some things to consider:
Ethics: Is the ring ethically sourced, meaning the materials were not mined using forced or child labor, and the precious metals were not mined in an environmentally destructive way? Did the purchase of the diamonds at the source fund conflicts and violence? Lab grown diamonds eliminate a lot of the worry where that’s concerned.
Recycling: When jewelry materials are recycled, you can breathe a sigh of relief. This may mean diamonds removed from old jewelry and set in your ring. Perhaps other gems like rubies or sapphires are involved. When gold or platinum is recycled, the impact is dramatically lower than when the ore is mined.
Vintage: Just like recycled jewelry parts, vintage jewelry is an ethical choice because you know that there is less of an environmental and ethical impact between the original owner and you than there would be from a newly manufactured ring.
Ethically Sourced Jewelry Materials: Although there is a lot of information available about ethically sourced gem stones, you should deal with jewelers who can make representations to you about their materials freedom from ethical concerns like forced labor, conflict, worker exploitation, and environmental damage.
At Bert Levi Family Jewelers, we’re committed to ethical choices whenever possible. If you’re looking for an engagement ring in San Diego, I hope you’ll reach out so we can talk about it with you. Drop by the showroom in La Jolla. You’ll be glad you did.
Enjoy this next: