Thursday 18 June 2015

Facts About Sustainable Jewelry NYC Residents Will Find Interesting

By Freida Michael


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.

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.

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.

Diamond extraction does not involve toxic materials but it does cause a considerable deal of harm to the landscape just the same. There is one species of diamond, found in Canada which is mined from lake-beds after they are drained to begin excavation that present somewhat less damage to the earth. Diamonds are also a resource that produces some of the wealth needed to fund wars and violence in some nations, although in recent times treaties have been drawn up to change this situation.

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.

Gemstones such as rubies, emeralds, sapphires, are mined in a similar manner which is destructive to the earth, and some of them are also associated with political conflict. These colored stones are also normally treated using heat, radiation, or resin fillers to improve their appearance, all of which can pose a potential risk to those working in the plants where they are processed.

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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