Inhabitat: Wedding rings are traditional. Even the
staunchest non-traditionalists have wedding rings. For some they are a
status symbol, but for an environmentalist, eco-friendly wedding rings
can show commitment to sustainability, protection of the environment,
fair trade and conservation of the earth’s resources. The ring you
choose for yourself and your fiance says a lot about you. Women are
getting raped, kids are getting their hands hacked off, and people are
getting killed all over the diamond trade in war-torn African nations
like Sierra Leone, Angola and Congo. Without getting into too much depth
about the moral issues and gritty details of it all, watch Blood
Diamond and you’ll get the glimpse of why it’s important to buy your
rings responsibly.
For both women and men’s rings, you’ll want to look for conflict-free
diamonds and gems, and recycled metals. And while diamonds are a girl’s
best friend, not every girl wants a diamond, and there are many
gemstones out there that are just as beautiful and not as tainted. Cultured diamonds
and gemstones are the most ecologically friendly gems, since they are
not mined out of the earth, but grown in a lab. They are also
significantly less expensive than geologically-grown gems, which has
definite appeal in today’s economy |
