Green Gift Guide - Eco Jewelry

If you are looking for a gift for your girlfriend, wife or mother, or yourself for that matter, a piece of jewelry is sure to make most women on this Earth pretty darn happy. Some like silver, some like gold, some like diamonds or other gem stones. Unfortunately, there are some serious environmental implications with mining, from the chemicals used in the mining process, to the health effect of the miners, as well as humanitarian concerns in some conflicted regions. So what's a greenie to do?

The answer is simple: REDUCE, REUSE and RECYCLE some of your old pieces. Before you click off this page and think its lame, hold it! Think custom made, personally designed jewelry. The only women who are able to afford these luxuries are Princess Di or Paris Hilton types! OK so here's how. Many of us have our old "kiddie jewelry"- stuff that family members or old boyfriends gave us that sits at home in the back of some drawer somewhere. I'm not sure of your experience, but mine indicates that most men have fairly terrible taste - it would be my pleasure to recycle it! Take some of those pieces and combine them to make a pretty new pendant for your chain. You may have to buy a new setting but that's nothing considering you are getting a custom design that's "minimally invasive" to the planet. If you are not creative, surf designer jewelry websites, go to a professional jeweler that you trust, or ask your spouse to design something for you. Now that's not only romantic, it's sentimental. More so than buying you the Kay Jewelers Xmas special from the mall like a million other dopey spouses. And you'll look and feel like a princess! A green one.