Can Jewelry Be Eco-Nomically Friendly?

We all want to support our environment, and let’s be honest; we want it to be easy and affordable.  And I say, why not have it be stylish as well?  In the past, eco-friendly meant either  “granola” or “overpriced”, but today there are many choices that are affordable and stylish.

Many designers have recently been challenged to do their part in leaving a smaller carbon footprint on our planet.  This new movement toward helping the earth has offered more creative trends as designers begin to fuse fashion and eco-friendly materials.

Products are considered eco-friendly when they are constructed in a way that is intended to produce minimal harm on the environment.  Clothing designers can support this change by using less toxic dyes and environmentally sustainable products like bamboo or organic cotton.  Sustainable jewelry designers can recycle metals or use raw materials that aren’t chemically processed.  Purchasing recycled silver is actually the same price as brand new silver.

To make sustainable jewelry with recycled metals, the designer melts down the silver or gold and casts his or her product within the recycled metal. After casting, the designer then polishes the recycled product to make it sparkle like new.

Currently, sustainable jewelry options may cost slightly more than non-environmentally friendly options, but this is changing at a rapid rate.  As consumers begin choosing more ethically sound jewelry options, for example, conflict-free diamonds, the demand for those items will increase, and in turn they will become more widely available to consumers at a lower cost.

Furthermore, many eco-friendly designers contribute a portion of sales to environmentally friendly causes, so not only are you buying a environmentally product, you are also supporting a good cause.  Laura Elizabeth Jewelry donates to ‘1% for the Planet’, a global alliance of businesses that donate at least 1% of their annual revenues to environmental organizations worldwide.

My goal with Laura Elizabeth is to prove to women that they can have beautiful, stylish adornments that are economically and environmentally friendly. In other words, our sacrifices can be made elsewhere, as we women have enough to worry about!

About the Author

Los Angeles Jewelry Designer Laura Elizabeth is dedicated to enhancing the natural and timeless beauty inherent in women of all ages. Drawing on inspiration from Mother Nature herself, each colorful piece of jewelry in the Laura Elizabeth has a distinctive voice of its own.

Laura Elizabeth Jewelry is a green company using only earth-conscious recycled packaging materials and office supplies. A portion of Laura Elizabeth’s sales are donated to environmentally conscious causes. In addition, Laura consistently donates jewelry to education based non-profit agencies. You can view her site and jewelry designs at: www.lauraelizabethjewelry.com

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