Fresh Finds

Eco Jewelry

Whether it's cyanide-laced gold or conflict diamonds that fund wars in developing nations, jewelry is a hot-bed for social and environmental transgressions. And in an industry with lax regulations and few reliable certifications to ensure ethical treatment of workers and the environment, finding fashionable and eco-friendly jewelry can be daunting.

But leave it to small businesses to create a loophole in that logic. The new Premier Eco Jewelry Collection by Virginia-based Moonrise Jewelry has enough of a conscience to make up for the industry's lack thereof.

In creating the collection, it was important to Moonrise's owners, Meredith Restein and Liz Watson, to use gems sourced in the U.S. so as to avoid the social problems associated with "conflict" diamonds--which often fund wars and terrorist regimes--and Burmese gems that are extracted under inhumane conditions. Currently, they're using Wyoming jade, Oregon opals, Nevada purple sage chalcedony and Arizona Mesa Verde peridot, with their only non-U.S.-sourced gems being fire opals from Mexico. These gems have the additional benefit of coming from small-scale mining operations with little environmental impact; workers extract them using hand tools instead of heavy machinery that can destroy ecosystems on its way into and out of a mine.

Furthermore, the company uses a gem supplier who has strict environmental and labor standards, including buying only gems that have been produced by people receiving fair wages for their labor and restoring a mine site to its original condition once mining has been completed. The supplier maintains strict control over the supply chain, tracking each gem from extraction to cutting to make sure that no unethically sourced or environmentally damaging gems make it to customers.

The company's silver comes from two Indonesian suppliers, one of whom belongs to the Fair Trade Federation (FTF); the other is applying for membership. FTF members must adhere to strict labor and environmental standards, and as the companies renew their memberships each year, the FTF evaluates any changes in suppliers or management to ensure that these standards are maintained.

When the materials finally get to rural Virginia, where Moonrise is based, Restein and Watson fashion them into their unique designs. The pair have also started a "Jewelry With Heart" program for which they recruit and train underprivileged women to make their jewelry.

To peruse the collection, log on to www.moonrisejewelry.com. Earrings start at $18; pictured above are the Winslow Earrings ($76). Necklaces start at $52.

© The Green Guide, 2008

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