There is a small but steadily growing niche market for what many might call eco-friendly jewelry. For those individuals concerned about the environmental impacts which various mining industries can create, we here at weddingrings.net highly recommend giving a good read to not only this post, but the ones which will follow. There is just too much information that we wish to share with you to fit into one blog entry! What follows now  is a list of the first three things the environmentally conscious couple can take into account to ensure that their wedding rings or wedding bands fits not only their fingers, but their particular emotional belief system as well.

DIAMONDS AND OTHER GEMSTONES

Though many wedding rings and wedding bands turn out to be ‘plain’ sets of unadorned rings, others incorporate various gemstones into their designs. The most popular gemstone currently being incorporated is of course… the diamond! The blockbuster movie, Blood Diamond, revealed to many a rather ugly aspect of an otherwise precious gift. There are a myriad of ways in which one can ensure they are not purchasing what are commonly referred to as conflict diamonds. A review of previous postings of this blog will reveal many ways you can ensure you are not purchasing such a diamond. For the record, the mining gem industry is not famous for its loving embrace of mother Earth, but on the upside of that same coin, diamonds mined from industrialized nations such as Canada, Australia, South Africa and the United States all have to conform to various environmental safety standards. 

BASE METAL OR METALS OF THE RING

Here again we could comment on the rules and regulations that govern the general zeitgeist of the mining industry. The mining of ore bearing rock or deposits of metals, refining and smelting such materials, as well as the leftover slag that such activities inevitably produce is actually quite a big issue for those with a mind toward preserving Mother Nature’s beauty. There really are only a few specific ways to get around this potential problem. One way is to salvage precious metals from other pieces of jewelry, household cutlery, electronics or any other of material component which consists of previously mined precious metals. Putting jewelry aside, both gold and platinum can be found in small quantities in everyday household goods such as computers, televisions and assortment of electronic devices. If silver is your choice (as it is for many ‘eco-couples’), well… what about sacrificing a fork from the family’s antique silver cutlery, or simply buying a silver spoon at the local flea market? Perhaps you have some old coins lying around the house or in a collection whose value would be greatly increased by incorporating them into a wedding ring or custom-designed wedding band. A second way is to forgo precious metals altogether and go with a nontraditional metal such as titanium or tungsten. Admittedly both of these metals still must be mined and refined, but much of the refining process is petrochemically based as opposed to relying on the more environmentally damaging/energy consuming thermal refinement methods.

FUTURE RING MAINTENANCE

A copper ring is quite possibly the easiest to maintain. A simple polishing rag is all that is needed to keep it shined to a grade ‘A’ quality. However, I don’t know of too many copper-based wedding rings or wedding bands, and though I’m sure they do exist, I seriously doubt they’re flying off the shelves! Understand that no matter the metal you choose, to properly maintain and care for your wedding ring in the long run will most probably require chemical cleaning treatments. Thus finding a jeweler who uses environmentally safe cleaning products to maintain your wedding ring or wedding band is a fine thing to consider.