When most people see a beautiful, sparkly ring or necklace, all they think about is what it symbolizes; which may be love, commitment, or just a flair for fashion, but what they may not be aware of is the significant harm that the mining and extraction of these jewels can cause to the earth. By choosing to purchase only sustainable jewelry NYC consumers will be doing their part to not compromise the environment just for the sake of owning some fancy baubles.
Most jewelry is made from gold, silver, or platinum. Contained within rocks and ore in very minute amounts, they can only be extracted through mining methods which by nature are quite destructive to the earth, and implement the use of mercury and cyanide which are toxic elements that remain in the form of waste product contamination.
Less demand for metals and the destructive practices associated with it can be achieved by making the decision to either purchase previously owned items or to have older pieces of jewelry melted down and reshaped into new ones by a jeweler. Platinum is a bit more challenging to refine and needs the services of someone who specializes in working with it. A small but growing number of jewelers also deal exclusively with ecologically-friendly mining companies.
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.
The good thing about opting to buy diamonds that are mined from either Canada or Australia is that they are not tied into any conflict, and some mining organizations even restore the land when the site is no longer going to be used. Man-made diamonds are another option and they look almost exactly the same as the real thing but do not tax the environment.
The colored gems such as sapphires, rubies, and emeralds are also extracted in a non-environmentally friendly way and many are also tied into various forms of political conflict. During their processing, heat, resin fillers, and radiation are all used to maximize their appearance, but at the same time pose potential health risks to workers exposed to 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.
If buyers continue to inquire about the source and method of metal and gemstone mining used in the manufacture of the jewelry, it will eventually force all sellers to obtain and provide these details for disclosure to their customers. This will help to build awareness of this issue and its importance, both within the retail jewelry market and in general.
Most jewelry is made from gold, silver, or platinum. Contained within rocks and ore in very minute amounts, they can only be extracted through mining methods which by nature are quite destructive to the earth, and implement the use of mercury and cyanide which are toxic elements that remain in the form of waste product contamination.
Less demand for metals and the destructive practices associated with it can be achieved by making the decision to either purchase previously owned items or to have older pieces of jewelry melted down and reshaped into new ones by a jeweler. Platinum is a bit more challenging to refine and needs the services of someone who specializes in working with it. A small but growing number of jewelers also deal exclusively with ecologically-friendly mining companies.
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.
The good thing about opting to buy diamonds that are mined from either Canada or Australia is that they are not tied into any conflict, and some mining organizations even restore the land when the site is no longer going to be used. Man-made diamonds are another option and they look almost exactly the same as the real thing but do not tax the environment.
The colored gems such as sapphires, rubies, and emeralds are also extracted in a non-environmentally friendly way and many are also tied into various forms of political conflict. During their processing, heat, resin fillers, and radiation are all used to maximize their appearance, but at the same time pose potential health risks to workers exposed to 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.
If buyers continue to inquire about the source and method of metal and gemstone mining used in the manufacture of the jewelry, it will eventually force all sellers to obtain and provide these details for disclosure to their customers. This will help to build awareness of this issue and its importance, both within the retail jewelry market and in general.
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Find a summary of the reasons why you should buy sustainable jewelry NYC stores sell and view our selection of rings at http://www.linhardtdesign.com right now.
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