NOW Magazine: Fair Trade Jewellery Co.

NOW Magazine: Store of the Week: Fair Trade Jewellery Co.

Fair Trade JewelleryCo. "FTJCo are proud to be North America's first registered Operator for Fairtrade Fairmined Gold & Platinum, crafting stunning jewellery that matters. Certified by Fairtrade International and the Alliance for Responsible Mining, the metal in our rings supports communities employing artisanal mining processes and contributes to preserving the ecology of Colombia's priceless Chocó rainforest". (from their website)
"Owner and designer Ryan Taylor works with 18 karat gold and platinum to create a collection of rings and custom pieces that range from classic to contemporary. Ethics and eco-friendliness aside, Taylor wants FTJ to be known for its sense of style and craftsmanship, as in the smithing skills required to forge a new grouping of tricky tension-set rings.  Taylor encourages clients to think about using vintage or inherited stones in custom settings. (CBC also recently mentioned) A documentary on FTJ’s website about Taylor’s 2008 visit to the Chocó rainforest in Colombia where the fair trade metals are mined."

lab-grown gem uses engaged couple's locks in eco-friendly ring

lab-grown gem uses engaged couple's locks in eco-friendly ring
(posted for interest, not verified in any way)
the DNA2Diamond uses the hair of the betrothed couple as a carbon source to make an eco-friendly, lab-created diamond in just 70 days, according to PR-inside.com. Aimed at "green" brides and grooms, it does not negatively impact the environment the way mined diamonds do.

Typically, diamond mines remove some 275 tons of ore in order to make a one-carat, gem-quality polished diamond, says PR-inside.com. But lab-grown diamonds rely on the lovely locks of the couple.

"Laboratory grown diamonds do not come from a mine," DNA2Diamonds president Tom Bischoff said. "That simple fact is of growing importance to more environmentally and socially aware brides making DNA2Diamonds the 'green' bride's choice."

His gems can be made in a variety of cuts and colors, including red, warm cognac and dazzling blue. And they come in sizes ranging from 0.25 carats to 2.0 carats. Best of all for cash-strapped grooms, they cost a fraction of what a mined diamond does.

Make your own wedding ring in 2 days

(cross-posted from elopenewyork) Why not make your OWN rings, from recycled gold and other metals?
"Spend a day in our fine jewelry studio learning to make your own wedding rings. Our professional jewelry workshops allow you to make meaningful custom wedding rings with your own hands while you enjoy the fun experience of being a goldsmith for a day. Create your own wedding rings with 100% recycled: gold, platinum, palladium, or mokume gane... Most of the custom wedding rings (on this site) were hand made in one session by a client with no prior metal-arts knowledge". This studio is downtown in NYC on Maiden Lane. They now have a sister site in San Francisco.

Recycled (remelted) family jewelry in your ring

Portovert has an intriguing post about recycling gold into a new ring. They suggest collecting gold from your relatives (old jewelry and rings) and having your jeweler refashion the existing gold into new rings. As they say: Experts say there’s enough gold currently above ground to supply the jewelry industry for the next 50 years. Translation: Gold mining and extraction, which exposes workers to toxins like cyanide and mercury and wreaks havoc on the environment, isn’t necessary. By using what’s available to you, not only are you gaining a responsibly produced, handmade heirloom, you’re also saving about 75% of the cost of new rings.. See the post above on making your own rings.

Silver "water rings"

From JSurine on Etsy: Interesting patinaed silver rings from the same block: "These bands are made from the same original piece of metal that has been forged and formed into the band it is now. What was one piece has been cut into two...These rings are then patinaed together, and although the patina process is somewhat unpredictable, the coloring on the rings is more likely to match because it was done at the same time and exposed to the process the same length of time. Resulting in a more similar coloring and finish." Michigan

No dirty gold -- Norway delists Barrick

Norway finds Canada's largest publicly-traded company,Barrick Gold unethical.

BREAKING: Norway's Ministry of Finance announced it would exclude mining giant Barrick Gold and U.S. weapons producer Textron Inc from the country's pension fund for ethical reasons. This is an especially significant judgment for Canada, as Barrick Gold is currently Canada's largest publicly traded company... Gold mining produces an average of 79 tons of waste for every ounce of gold extracted, 50 percent of it is carried out on native lands, and about 80 percent of it is used for jewelry, according to the "No Dirty Gold" campaign, a project of Oxfam and Earthworks.

Conflict-free wedding rings

Here is the original discussion about dirty gold and conflict diamonds on Ethicalceremonies.com

Here are suppliers and links, including recycled jewelry:

BrilliantEarth
greenkarat.com
CelticJewelry Fair Trade, eco, sustainable
LeberJeweler Chicago, eco, conflict-free
TouchWoodRings Handcrafted wooden rings, British Columbia.
WiserJewelry Recycled gold and lab-generated stones. WA
C5Company recycled metals, ethically mined gems, lab-created diamonds. SanF

List of retailers signing "Nodirtygold" campaign.