'Tis the Season to Get Engaged...the Eco-Friendly Way

Our friends at Brilliant Earth are guest contributors this month, offering their tips on choosing a beautiful and sustainable engagement ring. All photos are courtesy of Brilliant Earth and showcase their gorgous, eco-friendly designs. Enjoy!

Given over 25% of engagements happen during the holiday season, ensuring a memorable proposal is top of mind this month. Couples are increasingly interested in celebrating their nuptials in an environmentally and socially responsible manner that expresses the values they want to honor in their lives together. Brilliant Earth has helped thousands of couples choose their rings to celebrate their engagements. Here is some useful advice we have given to our customers to make their proposals both eco-friendly and unforgettable!

Pick a ring that reflects your values. Your engagement ring is a lasting and meaningful symbol of the life you will share together. Choose a ring that reflects your values and that you can feel good about.  Rings using conflict-free, socially-responsible diamonds and recycled metal will make your ring the ultimate gesture of love and lifelong commitment.

Metals The source of your precious metal speaks volumes. Gold mining is one of the most destructive mining industries, often coming from mines in developing countries that employ children and adults in inhumane conditions and leave behind massive quantities of toxic waste. And, on average, 20 tons of ore are required to produce enough gold for a single ring. The good news is that recycled gold and platinum represent a beautiful, eco-conscious alternative. The process of recycling precious metals results in identical quality to newly mined metals, without the environmentally and socially destructive effects of dirty gold mining.

Diamonds As the dazzling focal point of an engagement ring, diamonds must also be chosen with care. Profits from conflict diamonds have fueled violent civil wars, human rights abuses, and child labor around the globe for decades. Most recently, Zimbabwe's military has forcibly taken over the Marange diamond fields, and has committed severe atrocities against its own citizens, including torture, harassment, and forced relocation -- resulting in the deaths of more than 200 artisanal diamond miners. Despite these abuses, the Kimberley Process recently voted in November 2009 to continue to certify these as "conflict free" diamonds. They continue to enter the global market, indistinguishable from the rest of the supply.

In order to ensure your ring signifies respect and harmony, opt for diamonds of traceable origin, such as Canadian diamonds, which are mined, cut, and polished with environmentally responsible and fair labor practices.

Pick a ring that symbolizes your love. There are many stylistic options that can represent your love for each other and the planet!  Look for rings that are inspired by and incorporate natural elements into their designs. The engagement and wedding rings in Brilliant Earth's Nature Collection incorporate natural motifs, including flower blossoms, ivy branches and diamond-encrusted petals

Show how much you care by designing a custom ring made specifically for her, making your sweetheart's piece truly one-of-a-kind. Popular customizations include personalized engravings, alternative gems, such as blue and pink sapphires, or adding milgrain or other finishing touches to really make the jewelry fit her personal style. We recently created one of our favorite personalized pieces - a custom ring with the couples' fingerprints on the inside of the band. 

Create a beautiful and meaningful presentation.  Showcase your beautiful token of affection in a special manner.  Brilliant Earth's rings all arrive in hand-crafted, natural Rimu wood ring boxes that have been sustainably harvested in New Zealand. If you're particularly crafty, create a personalized keepsake box by covering a cardboard box in your old love letters, or buy a vintage jewelry box at a thrift store. She'll be thrilled to have not only a gorgeous ring, but also a lasting memento of your proposal.

Draw upon nature. Take a bike ride, go on a hike - surround yourself by the beauty of the world that is so important to both of you.  Many of our couples find that nature is the perfect setting for an eco-friendly proposal that honors their shared passions.  

These tips are sure to make your holiday truly memorable for both of you and demonstrate your shared values!

Brilliant Earth is the leading online retailer of ethical fine jewelry, offering conflict free diamonds from Canada, ethical origin sapphires, and recycled gold and platinum. Based in San Francisco, Brilliant Earth was created by two socially-minded entrepreneurs as an alternative to current diamond industry practices. Co-founders Beth Gerstein and Eric Grossberg formed Brilliant Earth based on the shared belief that beautiful jewelry need not come at great human or environmental cost.