midwest wedding, Middle of the Map Weddings

Today I’m sharing a super informative guest post from Laura Caroon of Frozen Music Studios.  I started talking to Laura because of her photography studios beautiful work, and when she mentioned that she’d love to guest post about green weddings I was more than happy to accept.  It’s not my area of expertise, but is something I feel strongly about, and is an important topic to share.  For her first guest post Laura decided to write about green wedding bands, and offers options like raw diamonds, recycled gold, and even wood!  So without further delay, here’s Laura:

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If you’re already engaged, most likely you have a ring.  But if you’re in the process of looking for setting styles that you like (or you are picking out you or your fiance’s wedding band), consider picking out an eco-friendly option.  You might have to look a little further than your traditional mall jewelry store, but it will be worth it!  Here are a few alternatives to consider:

Purchase “conflict free” diamonds. Brilliant Earth, a leader among  social and eco-conscious jewelers, explains, “Many of the world’s diamonds are harvested using practices that exploit and degrade children, communities, the labor force, and the local environment. Workers are subject to brutality, degrading working conditions, low pay and sometimes death. Labor abuses are built into the industry in many parts of the world, community development remains stagnant, and environmental degradation continues apace.”  Look for diamonds that are certified to be free from violence, human rights abuses, child labor and environmental destruction.  Check out the Brilliant Earth’s website for more information about conflict free diamonds and how to identify them.

A beautiful princess cut diamond engagement ring and wedding band, by Brilliant Earth.

Buy rings made from recycled gold. Get rid of that vision of people carefully panning for gold in the streams like at those tourist attractions in the Black Hills.  Instead, think cyanide.  Sulfuric acid.  Mercury.  These are the harsh realities of modern gold mining.  The production of one wedding ring can result in 20 tons of mine waste.  Why dig it up when we’ve already got plenty that can be melted down and repurposed?  Here is an example of a gorgeous Recycled gold ring from ChristineMighion on etsy.

Recycled gold engagement ring from Christine Mighion

Go a step further and find raw diamond jewelry like these from designer Todd Reed.  All his pieces are hand-forged and fabricated with recycled gold and ethically mined diamonds or diamonds rescued from the cutting room floor. You can find his designs online and at Bead Unique Designs in Velva, ND.

Beautiful raw diamond band by Todd Reed.

Rings made from salvaged wood are also an option.  Check out the amazing designs from Simply Wood Rings.  Who knew wood rings could be so stunning? These are an especially great option for anyone with metal allergies.

Recycled wood solitaire band by Simply Wood Rings.

My favorite option = vintage rings.  Pick out a gorgeous ring at an antique store!   Take up the offer to have grandma’s dinner ring passed down to you.  Set aside tradition and get a stone other than a diamond.  Maybe you’ll find a diamond or stone you love but hate the setting?  Have a new band made especially for you.  The options are endless.

Being environmentally friendly doesn’t have to be boring or outdated.  Green can be modern and gorgeous!

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Thanks again to Laura for her guest post, and look for more Seeing Green posts right her on Middle of the Map Weddings!