Jewelry has long been worn as a symbol of status and expression of personal style. However, what most people who wear it are not aware of is the fact that a considerable amount of harm to the environment takes place just to make one ring, bracelet, or necklace. By making the decision to buy only sustainable jewelry NYC shoppers can help contribute to the protection of the earth's natural landscape.
The most common metals used to craft jewelry are silver, platinum, and gold. They are naturally found in very small quantities within ore and rocks, which are only accessible by way of very destructive mining processes which rip apart the earth and involve the use of hazardous elements such as mercury and cyanide that can leave behind considerable contaminating waste products.
A reasonable solution to this problem is deciding to buy either previously owned pieces or to get old jewelry melted down and reformed into a new creation by a jeweler. In the case of platinum, it will likely be necessary to locate someone who specializes in its refinement. There are also a select few jewelers who only deal with metals which have been mined in an environmentally friendly manner.
When diamonds are mined, there is no use of toxic elements, however the landscape is still left in a state of devastation. Not all diamonds require as much harm to be done to the environment though, such as those which are found in Canada and can be mined from lake-beds after they are drained and excavated. There are some nations which use this valuable resource as means to fund wars and violence, but recently there have been treaties made to change this problem.
If one chooses to buy diamonds that have been mined in Canada or Australia, they are opting to support and industry that is not associated with any sort of conflict. A few mining companies are also striving to restore mining sites when they have been depleted of diamonds. Some opt for synthetic diamonds which can closely resemble the real ones, and do not cause harm to the environment.
The colored gemstones, for instance, emeralds, sapphires, and rubies, must also be extracted from the earth using destructive processes, and these too can be the object of political conflict. During their processing and refining, they are often treated with radiation, heat, and resin fillers to make them look the most dazzling, but all of these can present health hazards to those working with them.
When colored stones are mined, it takes less excavation to access them as they are located in the more shallow layers of rock.Research in the area of pollution reduction during extraction has been conducted by several companies and implemented into their practices. Resetting these jewels into other designs is another option.
Buyers can do their part to promote awareness of the importance of sustainable jewelry by always asking retailers about the origin of the metals and gems. They will provide this information if they realize that it matters to their customers, and they will in turn become more aware of it themselves in the process.
The most common metals used to craft jewelry are silver, platinum, and gold. They are naturally found in very small quantities within ore and rocks, which are only accessible by way of very destructive mining processes which rip apart the earth and involve the use of hazardous elements such as mercury and cyanide that can leave behind considerable contaminating waste products.
A reasonable solution to this problem is deciding to buy either previously owned pieces or to get old jewelry melted down and reformed into a new creation by a jeweler. In the case of platinum, it will likely be necessary to locate someone who specializes in its refinement. There are also a select few jewelers who only deal with metals which have been mined in an environmentally friendly manner.
When diamonds are mined, there is no use of toxic elements, however the landscape is still left in a state of devastation. Not all diamonds require as much harm to be done to the environment though, such as those which are found in Canada and can be mined from lake-beds after they are drained and excavated. There are some nations which use this valuable resource as means to fund wars and violence, but recently there have been treaties made to change this problem.
If one chooses to buy diamonds that have been mined in Canada or Australia, they are opting to support and industry that is not associated with any sort of conflict. A few mining companies are also striving to restore mining sites when they have been depleted of diamonds. Some opt for synthetic diamonds which can closely resemble the real ones, and do not cause harm to the environment.
The colored gemstones, for instance, emeralds, sapphires, and rubies, must also be extracted from the earth using destructive processes, and these too can be the object of political conflict. During their processing and refining, they are often treated with radiation, heat, and resin fillers to make them look the most dazzling, but all of these can present health hazards to those working with them.
When colored stones are mined, it takes less excavation to access them as they are located in the more shallow layers of rock.Research in the area of pollution reduction during extraction has been conducted by several companies and implemented into their practices. Resetting these jewels into other designs is another option.
Buyers can do their part to promote awareness of the importance of sustainable jewelry by always asking retailers about the origin of the metals and gems. They will provide this information if they realize that it matters to their customers, and they will in turn become more aware of it themselves in the process.
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