To some, jewelry stands for love and for marking milestone celebrations such as birthdays, graduations and of course engagements! For others, jewelry represents fashion and creative pieces are chosen carefully to showcase style and complete outfits.

However, the jewelry industry is not free from scrutiny on the sustainability front. Mining practices can cause water pollution, soil erosion and greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, mining for the resources (gold, silver, diamonds, etc.) used in the jewelry industry often occurs in developing countries where frequently, proper steps are not taken to protect workers and the environment.

So how does the sustainably-minded person express themselves with jewelry? We thought we’d explore a few ‘gems’ of ideas on how you can have some environmentally-friendly bling!

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Buying Vintage

History has a way of repeating itself, especially when it comes to fashion. Bell bottoms, crop tops, and Demin jackets are all current trends, fashion stolen from the past. So, let’s follow this trend and add some vintage jewelry pieces to our closets. Check out vintage stores and raid your grandma’s jewelry collection (with her permission of course!). By buying vintage instead of new, you are helping to keep items out of the landfill.

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Smog Jewelry

What is smog jewelry? Well, it is jewelry made from the smog that is collected from the Smog Free Tower, created by Daan Roosegaarde. This tower can clean 30,000 cubic meters of air all while only using 1400 watts of power (about the same amount of power a tea kettle uses). The collected smog is compressed for about 30 mins and made into jewelry. Currently, the smog can be used to make rings and cufflinks. This sustainable jewelry option helps the environment instead of harming it!

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Live Plants

Do you want to add some green to your life? Well, this jewelry trend will help you do that…literally. Now you can wear plants in pretty much any traditional jewelry style including necklaces, rings, and bracelets. You can also get to carry a little piece of the earth with you! Here are few places that sell plant jewelry:

PassionflowerMade: PassionflowerMade sells jewelry made with live succulents. The jewelry lasts for 3-4 weeks and after they can be planted so they can continue to grow. Their products are perfect if you want to incorporate some green into your wedding. They sell boutonnieres, flower crowns and cuff bracelets that can be used as a corsage. For other ways to plan an eco-wedding, check out our blog How to Have an Eco-Friendly Wedding.

With Roots Jewelry: With Roots Jewelry has a wide range necklaces and a growing collection rings, earrings and bracelets. These jewelry pieces display different types of moss including reindeer and white moss. They are all self-sustainable so your jewelry will continue to live as long as you give it the proper amount of sunshine. Which won’t be a problem because with these one of kind pieces you won’t want to take off!.

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Diamonds: A Girl’s Best Friend or Environmental Nightmare?

There is a sustainable option for everything, even diamonds. Lab grown diamonds are made in a lab instead of being mined. They take about a month to grow and don’t have the environmental consequences like natural diamonds do. The best part is they look exactly like a mined diamond! Plus, lab grown diamonds are about 30% cheaper than mined stones. It is important to know that these are not cubic zirconia or fake. They are grown with real diamond particles. The only difference is the location and time. Plus, lab grown diamonds are actually clearer and whiter than natural diamonds. Even the Pros can’t tell them apart without a fancy machine. With the demand for diamonds increasing and the supply starting to decrease, lab grown diamonds might become the new norm one day!

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No Longer Want Your Gems?

So, you have outgrown your jewelry or your tastes have changed or for whatever reason you no longer want it… what do you do? Recycle it! Yes, jewelry can be recycled, in some way, shape or form everything can be recycled. The gold can be melted down and stones can be removed, both can be reused to make new jewelry. Another option is to save your jewelry because one day your kids might love it and they can continue on with the vintage trend!

You don’t have to give up your love of jewelry because there are so many sustainable options. And the good news is these options continue to grow while hopefully, mining standards improve. So, continue to shop for your jewelry and check out these green options to continue to grow your jewelry collection.