Introduction

The jewellery we see in jewellery shops is glorious, but did you know that the process of producing jewellery is very cruel and arduous? The gems and metals that can be made into jewellery are precious in nature and often take decades to form, which is why jewellery is very expensive. So how come there is a huge amount of high-end jewellery on the market? In this article we will discover the eco-friendly ring choices.

The jewellery industry is so profitable that many people are driven by profit to over-immoralise the extraction of metals. This not only destroys the natural environment, but also accelerates the deterioration of the environment. Most of the miners who mine the metals are people from poor families, and they also face great risks to their lives working in this environment. Therefore, we should promote the choice of eco-friendly ring choices as wedding bands to reduce the harm to the natural environment.

Eco-friendly Ring Choices

Human rights and environmentalists have been calling on people to refrain from these over-exploitation practices for decades now, and there have been some successes. Many people have begun to make efforts to change the way metals and gemstones are mined and have made a conscious effort to make jewellery from recycled metals and environmentally friendly materials. Especially when jewellery is used for occasions that represent celebrations, such as weddings, using eco-friendly jewellery also helps to spread blessings and good deeds.

Well, in order to make better eco-friendly jewellery, I think there is some knowledge that we should know. Using professional engraving tool in the process of making jewellery not only enhances the beauty of the jewellery, but also showcases the charm of eco-friendly materials so that each piece of jewellery conveys a deeper meaning.

What are the eco-friendly materials?

First of all, we must understand what are the environmentally friendly materials that can be used to make jewellery?

As we all know, it takes a lot of effort and time to mine gems and metals in their natural environment. Precious gemstones such as diamonds take billions of years to form under extremely high pressure, while elements such as gold and platinum take years to form in the earth’s crust and riverbeds. The process of mining these metals and gemstones causes unavoidable pollution and damage to the surrounding areas, and in severe cases even threatens the species and the lives of the people who mine them.

So the best alternative is to choose diamonds and gemstones that can be cultivated in a laboratory – one that minimises the negative impact on the environment. Moissanite is an excellent choice. Let’s take a look at these lab-grown gems.

I. Moissanite

Moissanite was first discovered 120 years ago in a crater in Arizona by Henry Moissan, hence the name. At first, Henry thought he had found a diamond because moissanite sparkles and has a very similar appearance to a gemstone. It was only after research that he realised it was a form of silicon carbide, rather than a single element of carbon like diamonds.

Natural Moissanite occurs naturally in inclusions such as magnesium-aluminium diorite, kimberlite, and, if you are lucky, you can also find it in the Earth’s mantle and meteorites. As a result, moissanite is also very difficult to find in nature, let alone extract. Fortunately, with the continuous development of technology, it is now possible to cultivate moissanite in the laboratory.

II. Coloured Gemstones

One of the major reasons why gemstones are so precious is their vibrant colours. For example, emerald, sapphire and ruby are all names associated with colour. These colourful natural gemstones are usually formed over tens of thousands of years under extremely harsh conditions. But nowadays it is possible to modify the colour of gemstones in a laboratory, which effectively reduces the reliance on natural stones and eliminates the need for excessive mining.

III. Laboratory Diamonds

The natural diamonds that exist in nature today are probably as old as our planet. This is because the natural formation of diamonds takes around one to three billion three hundred million years and must be guaranteed to occur at high temperatures and pressures. Now, we can artificially create these conditions in the laboratory to shorten the formation time of diamonds to less than four weeks, which is a great progress for mankind.

The quest for certification

How do we make sure that the jewellery we buy is not derived from over-mining? There are two points to consider:

I. Kimberley Process

Diamonds are mined in war zones by unscrupulous individuals in order to finance atrocities such as war, violence and insurgency. In order to prevent ‘conflict diamonds’ and ‘blood diamonds’ from entering the market, the Kimberley Process, under the authority of the United Nations General Assembly, has adopted a resolution that diamonds can only be sold if they hold a Kimberley Process certificate or are Kimberley Process certified.

II. Choose a reputable jeweller

1. Disclosure of origin: The jeweller you choose is obliged to disclose the specific mining location, the mining organisation and other information about the origin of the metal and the jewellery. At the same time, they should also make sure that the mining personnel are in a comfortable working environment and receive wages that match their work.

2. The use of stereo microscope to look at the details of the jewellery to ensure that it originates from laboratory cultivation, which also ensures the quality of the jewellery.

3. The use of recycled metals: Jewellers can offer jewellery with recycled metals as the main material, rather than relying solely on traditional mining methods.

Summary

Choosing a reliable jeweller or jewellery brand and purchasing eco-friendly jewellery can reduce the harm to the natural environment, protect the lives of the people who mine it, and make your wedding more auspicious.

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