All that glitters isn't green, but this jewelry is.

I'm not big on jewelry. Note the $2 tin ring that I bought in Cozumel in high school my first trip out of North America. Other than that, I'll wear pieces that were worn or given by people I love.

But after a recent visit to an Oak Park, IL, bead store and the splurge it provoked, I'm left with hundreds of dollars' worth of unstrung Czech glass, Swarovski crystal, silver, wooden, dyed coral, wannabe pearl, jade, and vintage mid-century plastic beads, plus the wire and sterling clasps. I even spent a full day exploiting the worskhop table at an SF bead shop, crafting necklaces for my cousins for Christmas. While I waited two hours for a jump after my Zipcar battery died another day, I kept popping back into General Bead down the street, where the shopkeepers' rainbow hairdos match the beads.

But how sustainable is this jewelry hobby? For example, Swarovski crystals are supposed to be the best because of their high lead content, which sounds not so good, but how bad could it be? Are dyed beads a bad idea? Shoud you leave coral alone? Vintage jewelry is always a safe bet--best if you're lucky to get it handed down from family and friends. If you want to make your own pieces, you can buy box lots of broken pieces at estate auctions and yard sales. I'll be looking into the eco-friendliness of the ingredients you'll find at bead shops. In the meantime, here's the prettiest and greenest jewelry I've found:

You can see sunsets in the jasper and wear ancient history with the dinosaur bone fossils within Kirsten Muenster's strikingly modern, one-of-a-kind necklaces (left, above), rings, and bracelets. Lucina uses fair trade beads, such as Colombian red choclo seeds and vegetarian ivory, which add an earthy touch to the company's elegant, sparse pieces. How about an espresso pearl bracelet (below, right)? I also like 19 Moons' funky brooches (above, right), bracelets, and picture pendants, which embrace imagery from the Victorian and atomic eras. K. talis's North Carolina maker keeps old-fashioned, protective talismans in mind (right) when crafting wearable art from lost keys, shoe buckles, and other detritus. Viva Terra sells nice green jewelry, housewares, and other stuff. Vik Jewelry's fun Indio collection sources materials from Brazil, including dyed acai seeds (left) and feathers. Yvette Doss hand-crafts pendants (right) with semi-precious stones and recycled doodads such as Mexican milagros for her Yew Tree necklaces. By the Sea Jewelry uses softened sea glass in teal, seafoam, cherry and other hues. My favorite necklace pendant was a thousand year-old Roman coin I picked up in Jerusalem, but beware of looted and fake antiquities.

At the Green Festival, Moonrise Jewelry sold beautiful necklaces with real orchid pendants (left) dipped in resin. Vortex Green Jewelry's artists design pieces with lots of recycled beads. They also guide tours of Sedona, Arizona. Motherboard Inc.'s cufflinks are the ultimate accessory for the nerd who is taking over the world. Castaway's bold wood, leather, and horn designs aren't for the faint of heart--but you'd never know that these mature pieces are all sourced from castoff materials.

People make jewelry out of practically anything--like bike chains, gumball charms, and vinyl records. Verde Jewelry makes use of Timber Bamboo and vintage baubles (left). Transit tokens, dice, and Scrabble letters become cufflinks and rings thanks to tokens & coins(right). I used to glue quarters to my barrettes (don't ask). Japan's Harvest even sells jewelry made from old skateboards--supposedly. That part of the site is under construction. Israel's Ayala Bar costume jewelry involves lots of recycled goods. If you're making jewelry and need a sustainable silver source, Cloth of the Gods from Yellow Springs, OH (the original Twilight Zone) sells silver beads and more from tribes in Thailand.

Making a commitment? Skip the blood diamonds and the greed-gold. Brilliant Earth offers a line of fair trade, conflict-free diamonds. Sumiche Jewelry, fair-trade certified, is the work of an Oregon couple, Susan and Michelle. Leber's Earthwise Jewelry makes use of Canadian diamonds and fair trade ingredients. Green Karat sells engagement-ready, ecologically-sensible stuff (left). The Ringworks Studio in Puget Sound focuses on conflict-free gold as well as diamonds. Rather knock on wood than rocks? You could get a custom-crafted wooden ring made in Vancouver with all sorts of sustainbly-harvested trees such as cherry, the tree of the heart, or pine, which represents peace. Steve Wiser of Wiser Jewelry crafts pendants, engagement rings, and other 18 karat golden things from recycled gold in a Washington state studio that will soon be solar-powered.

Update: Another option is to check out synthetic diamonds, which cost 10 to 15 percent less than those from open pit mines. Companies like Apollo, Chatham, and Adia are cultivating gems in labs.

Major jewelry sellers such as Tiffany & Co., and even Zales are signing on to support less brutal ways of mining precious gems and metals (Find out more from the Council for Responsible Jewellry Practices.). That won't stop companies' brutal marketing campaigns that shove diamonds in our faces. I couldn't think of a much emptier symbol of enduring love than a colorless cut rock. How about a blue sapphire instead?

For more, Happy Hippie offers a good list of eco jewelry. Inhabitat has some other ideas. So does Delia at In Business.

Don't ask how I sat through this movie, but the guy character in "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" dreams up an ad campaign for diamonds with the tagline, "Go frost yourself." No mention of blood diamonds there. Indeed, you'd have to have frost in your heart to treasure some ritzy rock that people across the world lost their limbs to bring you.

Comments

[Lisl Armstrong]

Jeweley made with genuine sea glass that was tumbled smooth only by the ocean is the ultimate green jewelry!

[Briace]

great website wholesale jewelry

[gilroyfernandez]

Hey, I heard about a new jewelry company that is launched and have a lot less expespensive prices then Green Karat. You can check their website http://www.GreenORO.com and find lot of green jewelry pieces that are alike green karat but at very competitive rates. They specialize in green wedding bands and non-conflict diamond rings. The company is as green, environmentally and socially conscious, as a jeweler can be and unique thing is that they are offering three very exciting features which no one is offering right now.
1- Green Box Program
2- One Tree & One Ring a Time
3- Make Your Own ORO Ring
4- ORO Certificate of Authenticity [ Each ring you buy from http://www.GreenOro.com carries a Unique Tag Number ]

The head of the company is Shimon Farkas and you can see how extensive her background is in all things green at her current website. http://www.GreenOro.com, He & his family is in jewelry business for three generations and featured on the ABC Morning News and New York Fashion Show. Shimon Farkas is the prime manufacturer of green jewelry all in house and nothing is outsourced to any third party that gives him leverage to cut down his cost and share it with the customers and also with assurance he is offering ORO Certificate of Authenticity with each ring.

The aim is to make the pieces extremely affordable AND eco-friendly. Should be a really innovative website too, you can also ask for any Custom Design and that can be made within a matter of few weeks.

[Gilroy Fernandez]

I strongly suggest you to visit Green Jewelry | Green ORO prices & compare them with Green Karat and other green retailers.

[Gilroy Fernandez]

I'm in Houston, Texas and were looking for green conflict free ring for my fiancee and found two local companies in Texas. Green Karat and Green ORO, i went to their respective websites i.e http://www.greenkarat.com and http://www.greenoro.com. I found the prices on Green ORO much more reasonable then Green Karat. I save over $ 500 by buying from Green ORO as they are the direct manufacturers of Green Jewelry.

Few things i found and personally visited:
Pros and Cons:
Green Karat
1) Pros:
Green Karat: been in business and internet for long years
Cons:
1) Higher Prices
2) No In house retail showroom or store
3) Green Karat ETA time is much more then Green ORO
4) Don't offer high end created diamond settings or jewelry repairs
5) No Physical Location to visit , everything is Online
Green ORO:
Pros:
1) Reasonable and Cheaper Prices then Green Karat
2) Direct Manufacturer and willing to work with you on Custom Jewelry
3) Repairs are much faster on all green jewelry
4) no outsourcing to any middle man , everything is done within their showroom and have work labs
5) ORO Certificate of Authenticity to Back 100% recycled gold and process.
6) One Tree & One Ring at a Time - i really love this concept as they will put one tree towards the purchase i made. Highly impressed with their unique concept.
7) ETA is much less then Green Karat
8) You can visit their physical Location and Showroom and can see the Green Process

[tungsten wedding rings]

Cool! i liked all of those picture,looks so very innovative at the same elegant. Keep posting!

by: rhianne

[jewelrywholesale]

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[jewelrywholesale]

I found a good Jewelry Wholesale site which can do small order Jewelry Wholesale .

[Buy Sterling Jewellery]

Excellent post. I really enjoyed the beautiful pictures you have posted. Thanks!

[cherry]

The flower necklaces pictures are especially pretty.

[Tina]

I like earrings and Jewelry sets!

[Tina]

I found http://www.ecoartsiticproducts.com which also offers great green accessories such as hair barrettes, hair sticks and ponytails; also saw unique type of gifts such as jewelry, walking canes, purses..

[Michael]

If you want to find high-quality unique sterling silver jewelry, you have found the right place. The kinds of jewelry you will find at this website include anklets, body jewelry, link bracelets, bangle bracelets, post earrings, dangle earrings, hoop earrings, sterling silver necklaces, toe rings, religious medals, cross pendants, gemstone jewelry, cubic zirconia, chains, & claddah jewelry. Whether you are looking for a gift to bring joy to that special someone, or want to bring ease to your own life with flushing your spirits with a wave full of our beautiful sterling silver jewelry will do the job. Come and visit us at www.whitesandsjewelry.com

[Kino]

The jewelry displayed here looks like the kind of jewelry I'd wear.It reminds me of the kind of jewelry that I've seen at http://jewelrymeetsfashion.com/silverjewelry-c-1162.html. I'm not sure if I've seen such unique costume jewelry elsewhere until now.

[Renata]

Green jewelry is such a unique costume jewelry idea and very in keeping with the times we live in. For those looking for the swarovski crystal necklaces and earrings you can check out http://www.jewelrymeetsfashion.com. I saw lots of austrian crystal jewelry too.

[Stacie]

Excellent posting! . . right up my alley . . .I am doing much work and research on the subject of "green" jewelry myself.

Thank you!

[Heidi]

Six months ago, I discovered a website and maybe some of you could be interrested to look a it...those rings are realy special. http://www.mywood-ring.com

[danielle]

I adore vintage jewelry. I believe very much in reusing vintage pieces...it keeps them from getting thrown away or growing cobwebs. I think anyone that has a piece of vintage jewelry, or has their mom's old jewelry lying around should spruce it up and wear it or have a jewelry designer friend revamp it. Lovelasmuertas.com

[Sally, jewelry expert]

I'm fond of swarowski crystal, there are a lot of perfect jewelry with them.
I spend much money for it every year. :)
http://anita-jewelry.com/jewelry-boxes.html

[Linda]

I love to wear gold charms.swarovski crystals holds a handsome collections though.

[Helen]

So many choices in jewelry! I have choose a few gold charms as graduation gifts for my grandchildren. This was useful information thank you!