If you love the environment, you’ll love HUSH HUSH
This is the first of many blogs that will address the environmental impact of the jewelry business to our world.
First of all, the best jewelry is the jewelry that has meaning. Did your mother pass down a ring to you for graduation? Maybe you just inherited your grandmother’s brooch. Either way, giving a piece that has been meaningful to you is probably the best gift you can receive - and the best gift for the environment.
However, if you’re buying a jewelry gift for someone or yourself, here are some things to consider:
Metal: Where is the metal coming from? It doesn’t matter if it is brass or platinum. Find out if it is reclaimed/recycled gold or silver. Why is this important? It takes around 100 - 150 tons of earth to mine 1 ounce of gold. Hush Hush works with manufacturers who only use reclaimed metal.
How big is 100 tons?
The Space Shuttle is about 100 tons.
Gems: How important is it for you to have a real stone? As with gold and silver, gems need to be mined. And, since precious stones like diamonds and sapphires are small and easy to distribute, you may not know where they came from or if they have been sold to fund illegal activities. This is where the term “blood diamonds” comes from.
Hush Hush loves precious stones but we have decided to use lab grown gems for our pieces. Lab grown stones are the same composition as mined stones, but are less expensive, conflict free, and good for the environment.
If you’re buying an engagement ring, make sure you diamond is GIA certified for quality and provenance.
Read this New York Times article for more background.