Valentine’s day is later this week, which means that more people than usual have engagement rings on the brain.
I’ve been lucky enough to meet a lot of blingey beauties since last year’s candy heart season, and I hope the next year brings even more.
I’d like to take a minute to talk about social consciousness in jewelry. Usually I focus on the design aspect: how the jewelry looks, how it makes us feel. But it’s important to remember that diamonds (and any gemstone or any metal) must be mined somehow, and that the mining and production process is capable of causing great harm against the world and against the people who participate in it.
It’s important to remember that a beautiful stone might not have a beautiful origin. Please, when making a jewelry purchase, spend the time to find out what your piece is made of and where those materials come from. It won’t take long, and it could make a big difference.
I’ll get back to normal posting tomorrow: but for today, please enjoy these pretty pictures and these few important words.
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Absolutely!! Consideration for the planet and how those who mine the materials that are created into these beauties is very important; it’s why I specifically chose am antique ring. I know that there were some of the same issues a hundred years ago, but I’m glad I wasn’t contributing to a modern problem. Besides, *online* window shopping is free! ;^)
I always figure that buying antique rings with antique diamonds counts as recycling!