Your engagement ring should symbolise romance, commitment and love. However, all too often, our engagement rings are unethical and environmentally harmful. There’s nothing romantic about that.
Fortunately, you can opt for an ethical engagement ring that does not violate human rights or the environment. Ethically sourced engagement rings have become increasingly popular in recent years. The younger generation are more conscious of the environment and our impact on it. They are far more likely to invest in sustainable and ethical brands, even if it means spending a little more.
Here are a few things you need to know when choosing an ethical engagement ring.
Is your ring ethical?
It’s difficult to determine whether your ring is really ethical. There are so many processes and materials involved that could impact its ethical nature. You need to do a little research into the different terminology in the diamond industry. For example, many jewellers sell ‘conflict-free diamonds’ – but they can’t guarantee that the ring is conflict-free. They don’t know whether there were human rights violations or environmental harm around the diamond. Do your research and make sure you know the background of blood and conflict diamonds.
Marketing strategies
Marketing can be very misleading. Most jewellers will not know the detailed history of their diamonds. For example, the jeweller could tell you the diamond originated in Australia when it was just in Australia at some point. It could have been mined somewhere completely different.
Marketing is used to make engagement rings sound ethical – even if their true background is unknown. There is a higher demand for ethical rings these days, and it’s smart marketing to play into that trend. When shopping for your engagement ring, you need to watch out for these issues.
Types of ethical rings
Lab-grown diamonds are set in carbon and put under high pressure. They are substantially more ethical than mined diamonds. They are chemically and physically identical to real diamonds – and guaranteed to be conflict-free. You don’t need to guess about their origin or background. Simple.
A vintage ring is more sustainable and has far less impact on the environment. You can rehome a beautiful ring and make the most out of an existing item.
Alternatively, there are also ethically sourced gemstones that can be used for your engagement ring. It is difficult to decipher whether these mines are really ethical.
Choose an ethical engagement ring for your fiancé this year.
