Cristina Hurley Jewelry Design

Eco Friendly Jewelry

by

Cristina Hurley

http://www.cphurley.etsy.com/

You might have noticed lately that there is a Green Movement going on all over the world; the jewelry industry is no exception. Many jewelers have become very aware of where their materials come from and how they are brought from the earth to our benches. In recent years you may have heard about conflict free diamonds and the like, but many jewelers are now turning to recycled and lab created materials to produce "fine" jewelry. Many even call it "Green Jewelry" in light of the popularity of the term. Green is not just a color of an emerald anymore. It means so much more.

There are many different sources for alternative materials out there now, and there are many alternative materials to choose from. For example, diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires can all be grown in labs. They are natural, but grown by people instead of dug out of the earth.

Refined and recycled metals can be bought from different sources. One company, Hoover and Strong, sells mine-free recycled metals. They are my favorite source for metals.

There are also different types of synthetic stones out there, such as Cubic zirconia, which are also lab created and look just as great as diamonds, without the conflict or the cost.

Here is an example of a recent set of rings I made:

Anti Wedding ring set in Silver

These rings are made from recycled sterling silver, and set with Cubic Zirconias for some sparkle. They are then oxidized using an Ecofriendly technique which involves a hard boiled egg.

Pretty cool huh?

there are even entire jewelry sites dedicated to selling green jewelry, like the company Green Karat.
They are dedicated to selling what they call "Ecologically Responsible Jewelry".

So the next time you look for that perfect piece of jewelry for a friend or a loved one, make sure you go Green!

:)

you can find the rings pictures above at this link: