Perfect pearls

This image of a beautiful bride listening to her husband's wedding vows illustrates how simple ear studs and a string of pearls can perfectly finish off a modern bride's outfit.

Mai Pearls have made it their business to source a range of hand made classic and contemporary pearl jewellery ethically, by only buying from two small groups of skillful Chinese women. Henrietta, founder of Mai Pearls, personally travels to China every year to place her orders and donates 10% of all profits to Operations Blessings care programs. These programs are available for China’s needy, handicapped, orphans, and children suffering from various diseases. For more information on the charity visit www.obchina.org.

Give a little back by choosing gorgeous freshwater pearls in every hue, bracelets, earrings, necklaces - the world's your oyster!

Posted in Green Wedding Jewellery

Green gold

We're really excited to hear that our partners Cred Jewellery are working hard with the Fairtrade Foundation (FF) and the Association for Responsible Mining (ARM) to find a way to certify a 'Green Gold' collection of jewels.

Some while back Cred formed a partnership with miners in a cooperative in Choco, an underdeveloped region in northeast Colombia, called the Green Gold (‘Oro Verde‘) project and the FF is now exploring how to develop the concept of ethical gold with ARM. Hopes are to be able to extend its successful labelling scheme to gold in the foreseeable future.

‘If we get a positive board decision to proceed with Fairtrade labelled gold, then depending on the outcome of the pilot studies to date, it would be likely that the first certified gold will be available during 2009,’ said Fairtrade Foundation policy and producer relations officer Chris Davis.

So if you're a girl and planning to pop the question to your beau this leap year it won't be possible to buy Fairtrade gold to mark the occasion. But you will be able to find an ethical alternative in our list of jeweller partners who all use recycled gold and ethically sourced stones in their jewellery.

Posted in Green Wedding Jewellery

Ethical rings

Now you've decided to tie the knot, and if a ring hasn't already been produced, you may be thinking of not only going ethical but also individual. April Doubleday is leading the pack with her individually hand crafted ethical jewellery.

On the use of gold, she says "I only gold plate (rather than making things from solid gold), which doesn't deplete the earth's resources, and I have to know where exactly the gold I use was mined, insisting that workers have been fairly paid and that their working conditions are safe, hygienic and humane. It's also essential for me to know that no child labour has been used in the extraction of the gold. I use Colombian gold which is Fair Trade accredited by the Cred Foundation. Greg Valerio of that organisation traces the gold from source to customer every step of the way."

Posted in Green Wedding Jewellery

Peace Love Earth

Our incredibly talented partner Anna Mkhitarian who makes fabulous eco chic wedding dresses under her label Annatarian, has just launched a range of whistful jewellery made from .925 recycled pure sterling silver. Called Peace Love Earth, Anna says "the jewelry was inspired by a need to provoke thought about these three words: PEACE, LOVE, and EARTH and is designed to inspire positive change."

Check out these cute Seven Wishes Bracelets inspired by Armenian traditional wish bracelets, Victoria Foraker, and fairies. The little charms, suspended on surplus string and presented in the gorgeous sealed boxes, make perfect favours or gifts for your bridesmaids.

All Anna's jewellery is made in Los Angeles, California under sweatshop free conditions.

Posted in Green Wedding Gifts & Favours , Jewellery

Brand new ethical jeweller launches

We've teamed up with brand new ethical jeweller Ingle & Rhode and we give them our wholehearted support as they launch their range of beautiful, design-led eco jewellery, with its socially and environmentally responsible sourcing and production policies.

The launch of Ingle & Rhode is another step in the right direction for an industry fraught with exploitation and controversy and we welcome their efforts to reduce the three main problems facing the jewellery industry: human exploitation, conflict diamonds, and environmental damage. Through painstaking research, Ingle & Rhode have put together a supply chain that guarantees clients can trace the provenance of all metals and gemstones used.

Posted in Green Wedding Jewellery , News